Compendium of Good Practices on

Efforts Against
Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
of Children in the Philippines

2016
 There is no doubt that the Internet yields numerous opportunities and benefits for
children in terms of its impact on their educational attainment and social inclusion .
However, it has also exposed children to dangers that defy age, geographic location
and other boundaries that are more clearly delineated in the real world.

Gordon Alexander
Director, UNICEF Office of Research
 ACRONYMS

CBB Capacity Building Bureau

DepEd Department of Education

DSWD Department of Social Welfare and Development

GoP Government of the Philippines

NBI National Bureau of Investigation

PNP Philippine National Police

UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund

Overview
The enticing and precarious world of the internet

Being at the forefront of technological change, young people are exposed to risks that defy
geographic location and boundaries that are more delineated in the real world. While
facilitating greater integration and efficiency in communication, the advent of modern
technology has also paved way to new forms of child sexual abuse. Whilst information and
communication technology did not spawn child exploitation, it enhanced the scale and
potential of old and familiar practice of sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

In 2013, the European Commission reported that child offenders perceive online spheres
provide them anonymity thus encouraging them to promulgate abuse by engaging in the
production and consumption of child abuse materials. Exchange of these materials and
even sexual abuse itself was made easier online. Video streaming made it possible for
offenders to manipulate children and enabled a more active role in the act despite great
distance. Moreover, victims of online child sexual abuse suffer further exploitation knowing
that images of their abuse may be reproduced and distributed hence the experience of
abuse is repeated in each and every views.

Recognizing online child exploitation as a global challenge, the need to protect children
from online abuse and exploitation calls for the action and commitment of countries,
communities and citizens. A global initiative led by the European Union and the United
States of America, the Global Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Online, rallied 54
countries, the Philippines included, to commit to four shared political targets that aim to
rescue more victims, facilitate to an enhance prosecution and ultimately, reduce the
volume of child sexual abuse images available online by:
 1. Enhancing efforts to identify victims and ensuring that they receive the necessary
assistance, support and protection;

2. Enhancing efforts to investigate cases of child sexual abuse online and to identify
and prosecute offenders;

3. Increasing awareness among children, parents, educators and the community at

large about the risks;

4. Reducing the availability of child pornography online and the re-victimization of

children

Aside from its participation in this initiative, the Philippines had also endorsed the
Ministers Declaration which summarized the assessment of the experts from law
enforcement, victim advocacy groups, and frontline organization on the fight against child
pornography.

From the espousal of the advocacy against online child pornography in the country and the
eventual implementation of the Republic Act (RA) 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act
of 2009, the Philippines has seen diverse examples of initiatives aiming to rescue and
protect children from online exploitation.

Documentation of the good practices and experiences in the fight against child exploitation
facilitates further application and provides invaluable insights for organizational learning.
It is also relevant to note that lessons learned from the experience of implementing
organizations may not necessarily be applicable to the experience and mandate of other
organizations. It is, however, important to assess what makes these interventions effective
and assess the barriers to implementation to be able to strengthen the efforts and guide the
framework for future interventions.
Definitions

In accordance with the first article of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, this
publication defines a child as anyone under 18 years old. In its simplest terms, online child
exploitation is understood as the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material
(child pornography), commercial sexual exploitation of children, cyber-enticement,
solicitation and grooming, cyber-bullying, cyber-harassment and cyber-stalking, as well as
exposure to harmful content (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2016). Moreover,
child pornographic materials refers to any material that visually depicts a child in real or
simulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts of a child for
primarily sexual purposes, including photography, video, drawings, cartoons, text and live
streaming (UNICEF, 2014).

Methodology

The methodology used in documenting the good practices on interventions tackling online
child exploitation was developed with guidance from Capacity Building Bureau (CBB) of
the Department of Social Welfare and Development,

Initially, a review of project reports (workshop documentation, field reports, annual

reports, case studies, et cetera) was conducted at the beginning of the data collection to
shortlist the potential good practices. After conducting a scoping of programs that tackles
online child exploitation, a criteria for assessing these programs and interventions was also
agreed with the CBB.

Following the agreement on research methods, key informant interviews and focus group
discussions were conducted with the focal persons from different government agencies and
non-government organizations from March to July 2016. Out of the fifteen key
interventions conducted to tackle online child exploitation in the country, six emerged as
good practices after establishing at least five of the criteria set by the Consultant and the
DSWD. Finally, a presentation of good practice on efforts against online child exploitation
was made to the DSWD and UNICEF in lieu of submission of the final report.
Documentation of Good Practices on
Anti-Child Pornography Efforts in the Philippines

This publication is intended to showcase the interventions adopted to tackle child

pornography in the Philippines. The following set of criteria is used to identify good
practices from a myriad of interventions implemented in the country. The sharing of these
interventions is done with the hope that other stakeholders, whether led by government
agencies or non-government organizations, can learn from and/or replicate these practices
to continue the fight against online child pornography.

Criteria Guide Questions

The intervention was able to achieve its intended

result as planned and partners see it as meeting a key
Effective/ Relevant
need in addressing the complex issue of online child
exploitation

The intervention continued even without organic

project support, and/or the key pieces are in place for
Sustainable
it to continue such as stakeholder commitment,
budget, and supportive/operational system in place.

The intervention was easily replicated and may

Replicable and Adaptable already be adopted in other sites outside the pilot
areas.

The intervention was achieved with less than expected

resources (time, people, funds), it used
Efficient stakeholder/staff time wisely, it can be embedded in
an existing structure or function, and it does not
require intensive monitoring.
 Non-project staff was involved in the planning,
monitoring, implementation, and/or replication of the
Stakeholders Involvement/
intervention. Observable participation of beneficiaries
People Empowerment
and key decision makers in the intervention was also
noted.

The intervention is unique, creative, and/or has not

Wow! / Innovative
been implemented before.

The intervention is easy to understand, has a clear

step by step process to implement, and has been easily
Ease in Implementation
replicated in the project.
UNICEF Philippines framework on Preventing and Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation and
Abuse highlights the enabling environment and desired capabilities in the countrys
national response in combating the alarming growth of commercial of online child
exploitation in the country. This monitoring framework identifies bottlenecks in protecting
children from the risks associated in the use of internet and illustrate the potential
programmatic interventions that will facilitate a holistic and sustainable impact to children
both at-risk and exposed to online exploitation.

Capabilities
1. Leadership
Policy and
2. Research, Analysis and Monitoring
Governance
3. Legislation
4. Dedicated Law Enforcement
5. Judiciary and Prosecutors
Criminal Justice
6. Offender Management Process
7. Access to Image Databases
8. End to end support
9. Child Protection Workforce
Victim
10. Compensation, remedies and complaints arrangements
11. Child Helpline
12. CSEA Hotline
13. Education Programme
Societal
14. Child Participation
15. Offender Support Systems
16. Notice and Takedown Procedures
17. Communications Data
Industry
18. Innovative Solution Development
19. Corporate Social Responsibility
Media and 20. Ethical and informed media reporting
Communications 21. Universal terminology
While the interventions documented in this compendium are identified based on the good
practice criteria, it is also useful to show how each program demonstrate the ideal
capabilities in a national response framework against child exploitation.

Program/Intervention Established Capabilities

CyberSafe Project 2 9 11 13

Project Angel Net

3 4 7 10 11 12 13
Good 17
Practice
iFight Movement 9 11 13 14 20

Child Protection Unit 2 3 4 5 8 9 - 19

#StopChildPornPh 11 13 14 20
Emerging
Psychosocial Care and
Good
Therapeutic Intervention 8 9 - 11
Practice
Qualitative Studies on Child
Protection Laws 23
Overall, the documented good practice in combatting online child exploitation in the
Philippines suggest proficiency of the interventions in the areas of victim and societal
capabilities while strategic entry points had been noted in policy and governance and
criminal justice. The scoping of effective interventions also point that stakeholders must
continue to work on enhancing capabilities on industry and in media and communications
as there remain to be a large gap in programs targeting these capabilities.
 Good Practices on Efforts
Against Online Sexual
Exploitation and Abuse of
Children in the Philippines
CyberSafe Project
DepEd and Stairway Foundation partnering towards a cybersafe
community for children

Abstract

Acknowledging the urgent need to protect and guide the Filipino children on their use of
the internet, the Department of Education (DepEd) and Stairway Foundation forged a
partnership on online child protection entitled the Cybersafe Project. Through this
collaboration, DepEd and Stairway Foundation addressed the need to protect children
against cyber bullying and online abuse.

The partnership conceived of a manual that will guide teachers and students alike about
online safety. Specifically designed for Grades Five, Six and Junior High School students,
Cybersafe Project Manuals informed children of the potential risks associated in using the
internet and social media.

By coming up with awareness campaigns and instructional materials that targets students
and teachers alike, DepEd through the technical assistance of Stairway Foundation has
successfully piloted an intervention that reduces the incidences of online child exploitation.
In addition, the ease of accessing and using the manuals equipped school personnel with
the necessary resources for protecting students from cyber harm. By the same token, the
investment made in the capacity building of teachers and school heads to inform them on
the potential risks to children in navigating the cyberspace, its red flags and measures to
protect students to online child exploitation ensures the sustainability of the project.
Issue

Online sexual solicitation often occurs in the cyber space. Cases of online sexual solicitation
may include exposure to pornography, being asked to discuss sex online and/or do
something sexual or even requests to disclose personal information. This often happens
when an adult initiates an online non-sexual relationship with a child or adolescent, builds
trust, and eventually seduces the minor into sexual acts.

Studies reveal that 3 in every 10 teenage girls had been sexually harassed while inside a
chat room and 4 in every 10 teens (male and female) have received links to sexually explicit
content online (Fogarty, Teen Safety in Cyberspace, 2012). In the Philippines, 9 out of 10
children use the internet but only half of them are being guided in using the cyber space
(Stairway Foundation, 2015).

Child protection is a serious concern among education stakeholders in the country.

Recognising the complexity of enforcing child protection in a world of text messaging,
instant messaging, social networking sites, and 3-D virtual worlds, former Education
Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro identified two key challenges in protecting the Filipino youth
from online child abuse: (1) that children are more adept in using the technology compared
to their parents and teachers and (2) that teachers, who should be one of the main
stakeholder in the initiative, may feel intimidated knowing that the children are more
advanced in using the internet.

Strategy and Implementation

Amidst this backdrop, Stairway Foundation

expanded its advocacy to students and
teachers by partnering with DepEd in
protecting and guiding children in using the
internet through the implementation of the
CyberSafe Project. The purpose of the
project was to address the limited
knowledge of children and young adults of online abuse.
Having promulgated its Child Protection Policy, DepEd started drafting the rules
surrounding cyber-bullying and promoting awareness of online child exploitation. In 2013,
the Department required all schools to adopt the Child Protection Policy alongside the
formation of a Technical Working Group that guides its protocols on childs rights, online
safety and positive discipline. While DepEd is intent in promoting online safety for its
students, there is a huge gap between the School Heads, Teachers and Guidance
Counselors knowledge on their role in ensuring online child protection and the skills
necessary in exercising their authority over the students while they are at school. Stairway
Foundation, having the technical expertise in conducting capacity development workshops
and trainings that promote awareness and skills in tackling online child exploitation struck
a partnership with the Department of Education to ensure greater reach and better
penetration of its online child abuse awareness campaigns through educational services.

DepEd and Stairway Foundation agreed that for these awareness campaigns to be both
effective and
sustainable, it
needs to be
integrated in
the
curriculum. A
Technical
Working
Group from
DepEd was
formed and
tasked to (1)
get training on the issue of online child abuse and (2) draft instructional manuals which
will be used in subsequent workshops and distributed to teachers and parents. These pool
of writers attended several Write Shops to help them come up with Lesson Plans integrated
in the CyberSafe Project Manuals.

The Manual touched on the topics of online privacy and the risks associated in perusing the
internet such as cyber bullying, sexting and child pornography. Through these learning
materials, teachers are
equipped with the updated
knowledge and skills on how to
develop students capacity to
stay safe from online child
exploitation. These Manuals,
made available online and easily
downloaded from the DepEd
website are continuously
updated to be abreast to the ever changing landscape of online child protection.

Progress and Results

Following the adoption of the CyberSafe Project Manual in the Elementary (Grades 5 and 6)
and Junior High School curricula, 700 teachers and over 7,000 students received training
on online safety. The modules integrated in Values Education, Media Literacy, and Social
Studies was also housed in the website of the Department of Education and made available
to all teachers and students in country.
Project Angel Net
Partnering towards a cybersafe community for children

Contrary to the traditional means of tracking and investigating crimes, the increasing
number of internet-related crimes call for an innovative means to protect children against
cyber predators. Coined to inspire hope despite the daunting task of keeping children safe
in the cyber world, Project Angel Net was launched in 2011 featuring an online portal
where incidences of child-related cybercrimes such as bullying and online child
pornography may be reported. Hosted by the Philippine National Polices Criminal and
Investigation and Detection Group, the website is the governments investment to create an
innovative mechanism that addresses the changing landscape of anti-criminality operation
in the country.

Project Angel Net, as PNPs internet-based child protection program, focused on digital
investigative techniques and intervention operations to address online-based abusive
behavioral activities. The primary task of the special task force Project Angel Net is to
launch a round the clock digital tracking, collating, investigating and interdicting activities
that will identify online perpetrators which could lead to a physical investigation and
eventual prosecution. The task force also recognized the need for a collaborative work in
promoting internet safety with partners from the academe, media, internet service
providers, other law enforcement agencies, non-government organizations and
international stakeholders such as the INTERPOL and UNICEF.
Issue

The internet has offered unprecedented access to technology and with it, the world has
seen a dramatic and entrenched forms of online crimes. This development in the twenty
first century also calls for modern ways on policing crimes and innovative means
protecting the public especially children.

The Philippines is one of the top sources of child pornography in the world. The adoption of
the Anti-Child Pornography Law in 2009 facilitated a joint response from the legal and
police response to the campaign against online child sexual abuse in the country. Through
this law, the Philippine government was able to engage in an extradition treaty with at least
thirteen countries and has since worked closely with the Interpol to monitor and capture
perpetrators lurking in the cyber world.

While the country has documented an increased number of reported cases of online child
sexual abuse, most of the leads come from overseas police counterparts. The Philippine
National Police observed that few Filipinos are willing to file cases of abuse and fewer are
even aware that online child exploitation is wrong and has its corresponding penalties
under the Philippine law.

Strategy and Implementation

The work of Project Angel Net is three-pronged. The task force takes the lead of the
Philippine the legal enforcement in tackling online child abuse. Digitalization of
investigative techniques is one of the key strategies to be able to counter cyber-enabled
crimes. This entail capacitating the police to understand digital footprints such as the trail
of data left behind by mobile and online communications, travel and even financial
transactions of offenders and victims, foiling cyber-enabled crimes such as online child
exploitation. Project Angel Net also activated an Operation Center (OPCENT) which served
as a clearinghouse for all information and data on Internet-based abuses, on-line
interdiction activities, undercover investigations surveillance and monitoring operations,
and conduct digital forensic examination on electronic evidence (Philippine National Police,
2016).
Secondly, the Project offered an online complaint center where anyone can directly report
incidents of cybercrimes. This platform ensures that reporting of inappropriate online
behavior which may range from an adult having improper conversations with a child to
seeking a minor for sex will be easier for the Filipinos. Pornographic materials of children
may also be reported in the online complaint center for investigation by the Task Force.

Finally, Project Angel Net, in collaboration with partners, promotes internet safety and
ensures that the public is guarded from online predators. This include awareness
campaigns regarding proper usage, safety and dangers brought by internet to the
community.
iFight Movement
Empowering the youth in combatting online child exploitation

Abstract
Young people are always perceived as a vulnerable group exposed to risks of violence and
exploitation. The notion of youth and their vulnerability are tightly meshed that
development workers often forget they are also participants in the world fraught with risks
and problems.
One of the key contributions from Visayan Forum - apart from lobbying and passing the
expanded version of the anti-trafficking law that further the protection of the Filipino
people - is the focus on the role of young people to bring forward the work in addressing
online child exploitation. This perspective and mechanism has so far not been adequately
explored since the current interventions are mostly led by policy-makers, technical
specialists and other implementers.
Visayan Forum unites development workers and practitioners who are striving to provide
a safer cyber world for the children and young people towards a movement that seeks to
curtail human trafficking and online child exploitation. Fuelled with the belief that young
people have unmatched idealism that pose them as natural innovators tackling social
issues, have unlimited potential in acting on advocacies that prevents abuse and
exploitation and have unrelenting character to fight for a cause that aims to stop slavery in
todays world, the organization embraced a massive awareness campaign for the youth
targeting schools and universities in the country.
Issue

Anna was barely 10 when she was rescued in a raid within a condo in Manila. Authorities
received a tip regarding a meet up in a condo in Manila featuring minors who could be
photographed and filmed for pornography materials. Anna was accompanied by her
mother in the condo who told her they were attending a pool party thus requiring her to
wear a two-piece bikini. Two months after the rescue, Anna shared with her social worker
that her mother had been taking photos of her in skimpy clothes or none at all.
At the age of 12, Anna is living away from her parents, taken care of in a shelter in Manila
and receives a psychosocial treatment to help her recover from the trauma of being a
victim of child exploitation. But Anna's story is not unique. The National Baseline Study on
Violence Against Children in the Philippines found out that one in every two Filipino
children experience online abuse. In a complimentary survey by Stairway Foundation
further revealed that 6 out 10 children age 7-12 were not taught about the risks and
dangers that they might encounter online.

One of the factors that promulgate the opportunity for abuse among children is their lack of
awareness that they are already being exploited. Photos and videos uploaded in the cyber
space are often
considered as
neutral and
harmless by
children without
realizing that
once their photos
and videos are
uploaded online,
they lose control
of it and these
might pose immediate and long term detrimental consequences for the child.
Strategy and Implementation

Visayan Forum, as one of the countries leading organization tackling human trafficking, had
observed that there is an emerging trend of exploitation facilitated by technology. Children
and youth, in particular, are perceived as easily deceived by traffickers and recruiters thus
they are often the target of online pornography, cybersex and subjects of online sex sites.
Anchored to the belief that the organization cannot just put all their work into rescuing
victims of online exploitation, Visayan Forum launched its iFight Movement, a youth-led
movement that builds on the capacity of the youth in reducing their vulnerability to online
sexual exploitation, trafficking and slavery.

To ensure a wide reach and sustainable intervention, the movement struck a partnership
with institutions and congregations enlisting the support of hundreds of schools and
thousands of students. Targeting students from grades 4 to 6, high school and college level,
the iFight Movement invested on awareness and prevention activities as an introduction to
students. These activities discussed the facts of human trafficking basic prevention, and
rally students against modern slavery. The information relayed to the youth during these
activities are crucial to enable them to protect themselves, their families and peers
(Visayan Forum, 2015). iFight
chapters are then created and
mobilized in the schools to urge
the youth to join the campaign.
Through the partnership forged
with the schools, these iFight
chapters are adopted as official
clubs or organizations which
students can join and earn
points as extra-curricular
activities. These chapters are then tasked to continue the awareness campaign in their
schools and communities and actively participate in the advocacy campaign in social media.
A Toolkit was also crafted to assist students in activating and organizing the iFight chapters
in their schools. Ultimately, an online community of iFightersi is fostered through the social
media and practicing internet safety is being advocated as the new cool among todays
generation. Annual meetings and conferences are also hosted by Visayan Forum to discuss
the latest updates and provide direction for the iFight chapters.

The unfolding of youth volunteerism is key to the success of the campaign against online
child exploitation of the iFight Movement. The active participation of the youth in their
iFight chapters and in the social media sustains the buzz on online safety practice.

Progress and Results

By targeting congregation of schools and partnering with local government units, the
Visayan Forum was able to work with over 300 schools across the country, most of which
are located in the identified hot spot areas. The iFight Movement was also able to reach out
to over 80 thousand students and more than 14 thousand out of school youth. The
movement was able to innovate the approach in tackling the dangers by empowering the
youth to participate in the campaign while harnessing the power of the social media.
Child Protection Unit
A one-stop-shop for survivors of online child exploitation

Abstract

Most survivors of online commercial sexual exploitation do not see themselves as victims
of abuse. Rescued victims often fail to recognize the exploit as it is so often veiled by the
false sense of anonymity behind a computer camera. During interviews and investigations,
M;;;;jhbhubnbhj
children often downplay the occurrence of abuse especially when they are aware of the
exploit and family members are implicated in the filing of legal cases.

The rise in numbers of victims of online child exploitation begs of the question on how
should social workers, doctors, police officials and legal officers should address the abuse?
What is the appropriate intervention, rehabilitation and aftercare that must be given to the
victims and their family.

True to their mission of achieving excellence in serving abused children and children-at-
risk, the Child Protection Network rose the the this challenge and went beyond responding
to a one-event crisis upon rescue of a child from abuse to creating a one-stop-shop facility
that cares for children - from forensic interview, medical evaluation, home visit, mental
screening, child development assessment, legal assistance and even extending to aftercare
such as educational and livelihood assistance.

The contribution of the Child Protection Network and the Child Protection Unit highlight
that of a collaboration of the various experts from medicine, law enforcement, judiciary,
social welfare and education to be able to provide a holistic approach in restoring the well-
being a child.
Issue

One of the key challenges in providing a child protection services is guiding professionals
to seamlessly work together to build a child-centered approach when responding to
various forms of abuse. Oftentimes, practitioners from different fields work in isolation
facing the issues brought on by neglect and child abuse unassisted. The Philippine
experience of child protection highlighted the need for a comprehensive national
infrastructure that harnesses the expertise of child protection practitioners who provide
psycho-social, medical, investigative and legal services to the child.
Strategy and Implementation

As a child-friendly unit, CPU works by setting up a child-centered multidisciplinary

approach in providing a comprehensive psychological, medical, social and legal services to
abused children and their families.

One of the distinguishing features of the CPU is its provision of forensic services which
complements the standard medico-legal evaluation with a thorough investigation of the
personal and socioeconomic conditions of abused children and their families and a
comprehensive pediatric assessment. CPU also offers a videotaped forensic interview
conducted by a trained physician or policewoman which are often compelling evidence in a
court of law. These examinations are run in a child-friendly and non-retraumatizing
manner with strict adherence to legal guidelines for collecting evidence.

Medical services are also offered to abused children which covers diagnosis and treatment
of sexually
transmitted
disease,
developmental
assessments,
mental health
screening, regular
check-ups and even
therapies for children and their families. These medical evaluations and treatments are
guided by the most recent medical research and administered by trained specialists.

Moreover, CPUs provide social services which include risk and safety assessment, case
management, parenting classes and support groups and family therapies. These services
are crucial to establishing the safety of an abused child, preventing the occurrence of
another abuse, and strengthening the capacity of the family to cope after the trauma.
Another central component of the CPU is its legal services which span from legal training of
police trainees, on-site case filing, preparation of legal documents, preliminary
investigation hearings, and assistance to the abused children and their parents. To prepare
the child to testify in courts, CPU also initiated a kid's court wherein children are educated
oriented of basic court proceedings and educated of their rights as well as a tour in a
Family Court where they can meet the Judge and court staff.
The comprehensive intervention to cases of child exploitation adopted by the CPU even
extends to trainings for front line personnel such as social workers, doctors, police,
prosecutors and
judges.

Progress and
Results

From being the

only facility that
provides a
dedicated
emergency room
and clinic for
abused children at the Philippine General Hospital in 1997, the Child Protection Unit has
expanded to 79 Women and Children Protection Units in over 40 provinces and 7
independent cities spread over in population dense areas across the country.
Starting from its simple beginnings, the Child Protection Network was able to stimulate
these child protection units rallying over a hundred physicians and training social workers,
law enforcers, clerks of courts, prosecutors and judges to serve over 40,000 children and
adolescents.
Emerging Good Practice
In the course of scoping for programs and interventions that protect children from online
exploitation, several initiatives were noted be effective and their organisations to embark
on steps to the right direction. This section features these interventions that, while not
being able to surpass the benchmark of the good practice against online child exploitation,
still show promising components which makes it easier for children to kept safe in the
cyber world and harder for perpetrators to commit crimes through technology.

#StopChildPornPh

The landscape of human interaction has evolved dramatically in the advent of the
technology. Today, the internet offers communication between individuals from different
parts of the globe with a single click of a mouse. The increased speed, mobility, privacy and
anonymity, more than anything, allowed the recurrence of an almost dwindling market for
child pornography.

Alongside this technology boom emerged the batch of millennials - a generation of young
adults empowered by the dotcom boom who are motivated to address social problems
such as child exploitation. Project #StopChildPornPH is an auspicious strategy initiated by
the Department of Social Welfare and Development in innovating a program that will rally
millennials to take on the challenge of protecting children from the risks associated in
accessing the internet. Being the generation that has most experience in navigating the
cyber world, millennials are placed at an advantage in promoting internet safety,
advocating and building the capacities of child duty-bearers to ensure that children are free
from harm when they go online.

One of the key components of the project is developing web and mobile platforms,
applications and services that will enable advocacy and child protection services are a click
away from the public. In line with this program, DSWD also hosted a contest dubbed as
Hackathon which challenged the youth to come up with innovative ideas that will enable
reporting of child cyber pornography easier and accessible to the public.

While the intervention does not go far in terms of stopping offenders from engaging in
child pornography since culprits are already using encryption, peer-to-peer networks and
other technical means to conceal their illegal activities, this remains to be a good start for
the youth to start thinking of innovative means to stop online exploitation.

Psychosocial Care and Therapeutic Intervention

One of the identified bottlenecks in the child protection services of the country is the lack of
adequate victim support, in particular shelters. While there are several havens listed to
house rescued children, very few have trained personnel to handle cases of online child
exploitation. It was noted that the need for a psychosocial care and behavioral management
of children in conflict with the law is very different from the need of abused children. For
example, there were instances when rescued children of online exploitation were
welcomed in a shelter with house rules and behavior expectations where children felt that
they committed a wrongdoing that is why they are admitted in the shelter.

To address this gap, HerSpace, a project of the International Justice Mission, serves as a
post-rescue processing center that accommodates victims in a secure and victim-friendly
environment instead of bringing them to a police station alongside their traffickers and
perpetrators. HerSpace is an innovative solution to the need for a unique setting social
workers need to provide victim support. In this place, evidence that may be used to support
legal cases against perpetrators is collected and victims are interviewed by trained police
officials.

Instead of experiencing further distress in being admitted in a police station where they
can account for the abuse done to them, rescued victims are immediately provided with
psychosocial care by trained professionals and are protected from further trauma.
Moreover, IJM documented a film featuring other survivors who have similar experience
with those women and children brought into the shelter to share their stories of abuse and
hope.

Inspired by the success of HerSpace, the Philippine government intends to replicate the
secure and victim-friendly environment where they can handle cases of abused women and
children provide aftercare services and restore their hope and dreams of a better future.
Qualitative Studies on Child Protection Laws

Within the last decade, the Philippines has adopted several legislations aimed at abating
the increase of online child exploitation in the country. RA 9775 mandates Internet Server
Providers (ISPs) to develop a software that blocks transmission of pornographic images;
RA 7610 upholds the rights of children against any forms of abuse, exploitation and
discrimination; RA 9208 and RA 10364 details the policies that should eliminate human
trafficking especially of women and children; and, RA 9344 and RA 10630 prioritize the
rehabilitation of children who are in conflict with the law by providing mechanisms for
proper intervention and opportunities for rehabilitation. Despite having these legislations
to protect the welfare of the Filipino children, gaps in the proper implementation of these
laws had been noted as a major issue.

In light of these legislations, the Qualitative Study on the Implementation of the Child
Protection Laws in Four Select Local Government Units in the Philippines conducted by
the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development examined how local
government units localize the policies and its processes and mechanisms to be able to
implement the laws on online child protection efficiently and effectively. In particular, the
research analyzed the governance framework of LGUs to ensure child protection in their
cities and municipalities. The study also fleshed out the convergence framework by which
the mandated interagency councils operate to implement and monitor the state of child
protection at the local level.

By looking closely at the structural-functional elements of the child protection system, the
study provides a good understanding of the governance framework on child protection and
sees where the current initiatives stand in tackling cases of child abuse including online
child exploitation. Gap analysis on the protection of children from online abuse and
exploitation revealed that there is a growing sentiment of having outdated laws
surrounding child protection. However, the scoping study points out that there are
sufficient laws protecting Filipino children from abuse but the key issue is proper
implementation. The research provides pointers on how child protection stakeholders
must move forward in its programmatic decisions to adopt a more effective approach in
fighting child exploitation. The recommendations are practical suggestions to
implementers in handling cases of abuse in their own municipalities.
Annexes
A. List of FGD Participants and Key Informants
1. Government Agencies

Department of Social Welfare and Development

Brillalyn Sibonga, Social Welfare Officer III
Mary Joy Dela Cruz, Training Specialist III
Norilix Razalan,

National Bureau of Investigation

Chemene Nacua, Women and Children Investigation Agent III

Philippine National Police

Gwendolyn Cinco, Regional Woman and Children Protection Desk, Police Chief Inspector

UNICEF - Philippines
Maria Margarita Ardivilla, UNICEF

2. Partner Organizations

Leslie Ann Paspasan, Katilingban sa Kalambuan

Maria Gloria Patayan, Katilingban sa Kalambuan
Ysrael Diloy, Stairway Foundation
Klarise Estorninos, Ateneo Human Rights Center
Cecile Flores-Oebanda, Visayan Forum
Bernadette Madrid, Child Protection Unit

Photo credit to Stairway Foundation, Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and
Development, Child Protection Network, Visayan Foundation and UNICEF Philippines.
 B. Work Plan
Task February March April May June July
1. Desktop research,
preparation of research
tools
2. Submission of Inception
Report
3. Field work and Immersion
4. Debrief, including review
and discussion of initial key
findings, lesson learnt work
5. Data Analysis and Write up
6. Submission of Draft
Baseline Study
7. Revision and Submission of
Final Baseline Study

i
A term used to identify members of the iFight chapters.