EDITORIAL
Recognizing that the future of the Philippines depends on its young population, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued several directives to offices in the Executive Department to stem the tide of child abuse in the country.
President Marcos said the country “is not a safe haven for people who abused and exploited children. This is the absolute worst place for you, and we will make sure you know it."
On his orders, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will capacitate the Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) desks to improve the handling of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) cases in barangays.
A VAWC desk is a barangay-level facility that helps victim-survivors who have faced various types of abuse. It is typically located within the barangay hall and managed by a VAWC desk officer appointed by the Punong Barangay.
DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said he will “capacitate” the VAWC desks, meaning his department which is in charge of all barangays in the country will provide these desks and their personnel the needed tools and logistics to perform their mandate of helping children who are victims of abuse.
These victims more often than not suffer abuse from family members or persons living within the same household, and so it is important for them to know where to seek help, since the adults who are behind these abuses can exert pressure on the victims.
With an even bigger elbow room for the VAWC desks in the barangays, they can really reach out to these kids to assist them.
The President is emphatic on this issue, warning the barangay officials that they should not nonchalantly dismiss complaints of child abuse, or they themselves will be dismissed.
In addition to capacitating VAWC desks, the DILG will likewise mandate the conduct of seminars.
“Lalagyan po natin ng tinatawag na parameters ito sa lahat ng mga barangay at local government units sa buong Pilipinas. Iyan po ay imamandato ng DILG na sila ay magkaroon ng mga seminars dito,” Secretary Abalos said.
When asked about the Interior department’s actions against barangay officials who may prove to be negligent, the DILG chief said there is an ongoing capacity building that will focus on them, and administrative cases will be filed against negligent barangay officials.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) meanwhile is continuing its efforts to protect Filipinos from sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking, according to Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao.
She said the department has provided various interventions to 2,024 victim-survivors of Trafficking in Person (TIP) in 2023.
Of this figure, 320 were minors rescued from Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM), and trafficking.
“We at the DSWD reaffirm our commitment to protect the welfare of these vulnerable children. We recognize the urgency of Marcos Jr.’s directive to implement a comprehensive and intensive action plan to combat OSAEC and CSAEM,” DSWD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao said.
Out of the 2,024 clients served in the various DSWD Field Offices, 824 or 40.7 percent TIP victim-survivors were male and 1,197 or 59.14 percent were female. In cases involving children, 16 belong to 0 to 6-year age group, 101 are 7 to 12 years old, and 203 are 13 to 17 years old.
Through the DSWD's Recovery and Reintegration Program of Trafficked Persons (RRPTP), the agency provides a comprehensive program that ensures adequate recovery and reintegration services to victim-survivors of trafficking, OSAEC, and CSAEM.
The victim-survivors were provided with a wide array of services including logistical support during and post-rescue operations; temporary shelter; support services such as transportation, medical and educational assistance; and economic reintegration services which include skills training, and financial assistance for employment and livelihood.
With the DILG and the DSWD working in tandem to solve the problems of child abuse, some measure of accomplishments should be expected.
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