Save the Children Philippines has expressed strong support for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call to action against the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAEM), a grim issue where the Philippines tragically ranks second worldwide.
Amidst disturbing reports of exploitation involving babies as young as three months, predominantly from poor communities, the organization echoes the President’s commitment to fighting this silent pandemic. It robs countless Filipino children of their futures, with 86% of the victims being female and some as young as a year old.
“We stand in unity with the President and the nation in combating this silent pandemic that has harmed and stolen the futures of millions of Filipino children,” the statement from Save the Children Philippines read.
Highlighting a sobering statistic from the National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children, where approximately half of all children have encountered online violence, the group insists prevention efforts must start within homes, schools, and communities. Notably, a significant portion of the facilitators of these crimes are family members.
The organization has been instrumental in advocating for and securing the passage of Republic Act 11930, known as the Anti-OSAEC-CSAEM Law, in 2022, and its implementing rules and regulations in 2023.
Looking ahead, Save the Children Philippines commits to intensify efforts to implement the OSAEC-CSAEM Law locally and strengthen advocacy for comprehensive child protection.
The group’s past initiatives have yielded four local anti-OSAEC ordinances in 2023 and continue to promote collaboration among local government units, law enforcement, and NGOs, in coordination with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), to protect children and ensure robust policy execution.