ADVOCACY Save the Children La Union leads the discussion on children’s rights, online sexual abuse and exploitation
In partnership with the provincial government of La Union and socio-civic organization La Union Vibrant Women Inc. (LUVWI), PLDT and Smart strengthened their fight against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), through a learning session entitled “Better Today for Kids: Bata, Bata Kami ang Iyong Kasangga (Kids, we are your allies).”
The session was attended by teachers, parents, students, and youth leaders from La Union, who gained valuable information on how they can become the first line of safety and protection of their families in the digital world.
“The training on OSAEC equipped me with the knowledge and skills to recognize the risks of online sexual abuse and exploitation, protect myself and others, and report incidents to the proper authorities. It empowered me to become a responsible individual and an advocate for a safer environment,” says Roderick Orfiano, a teacher at Almeida Elementary School.
A Scale of Harm study by the International Justice Mission revealed that almost half a million Filipino children had been trafficked to produce new child sexual exploitation materials in 2022. While foreign men are the primary consumers of these illicit content, their facilitators are locals who are often known to the victims.
READ: PLDT blocks 88,000 child abuse sites and links
Vulnerable group
“We see the children and youth as our youngest and most vulnerable digital citizens. This is at the core of why we implement programs such as our Better Today for Kids, as a way to raise awareness on the dangers and threats that lurk in the digital environment. Through this, it is our hope that we are able to create safer spaces for our children and youth as they navigate the online space,” says Stephanie Orlino, assistant vice president and head of stakeholder management at PLDT and Smart.
PLDT and Smart adopt a whole-of-nation approach to curtail OSAEC. Besides its pioneering child protection platform, the PLDT Group works with various allies to advocate for and protect children’s rights.
This is part of the group’s commitment to helping the Philippines attain United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16, which promotes just, peaceful and inclusive societies and end the abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against children.
Joy Ortega —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
“I really try to find ways to help everyone—from parents to the children. Through the help of PLDT and Smart and Save the Children, we are able to create impactful programs that help protect our children, especially in the digital space. We need to remember that, as parents and guardians, we are the first line of safety and defense of our children. But it is also important that we protect ourselves from the dangers that are happening online,” says LUVWI chair Joy Ortega.
“We were able to know the limitations of the actions and words in relation to OSAEC and identify ways to spot abuse. We hope to share and help spread awareness on the things we have learned during this training on anti-OSAEC,” says LUVWI member Lilian Tan.
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Global hot spot
“The Philippines remains to be a global hot spot for OSAEC. It is important that the children and youth become aware of the dangers of the online space as perpetrators lurk and lure their victims,” says Zaena Saripada, community development officer at SaferKidsPH.
SaferKidsPH, an Australian government initiative, is delivered through the pioneering consortium of Save the Children Philippines, The Asia Foundation, and Unicef to prevent OSAEC in the Philippines. SaferKidsPH works with children and their families, the Philippine government, civil society, and the private sector to ensure that children are safe and protected online.