THE Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) on Monday launched the 33rd National Children’s Month observance with a renewed call to protect Filipino children from online sexual abuse and exploitation.
This year’s theme, “OSAEC-CSAEM Wakasan: Kaligtasan at Karapatan ng Bata Ipaglaban!”, underscores the government’s intensified campaign against online sexual abuse or exploitation of children (OSAEC) and child sexual abuse or exploitation materials (CSAEM).
CWC Undersecretary Angelo Tapales said the campaign highlights the administration’s continuing effort to safeguard children in digital spaces.
“The government is focused on reducing and fighting the scourge that reaches our children through cyberspace,” Tapales said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.
The month-long observance, led by the CWC in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Youth Commission (NYC) and the Department of Justice National Coordination Center for OSAEC and CSAEM, will feature a series of events promoting the rights and protection of minors.
The kick off rites will take place on Nov.7 in Quezon City. From Nov. 16 to 22, the CWC will hold the National Play Advocacy Week to emphasize children’s right to play.
On Nov.24, the council will conduct a conference on parenting in the digital age to guide parents in ensuring children’s online safety. The celebration will culminate on November 26 with a public event at SM Megamall, in partnership with SM Cares.
Following a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., local government units are required to adopt ordinances addressing online child exploitation, designate trained personnel, and set up referral mechanisms for reporting cases.
Tapales underscored that child protection begins at home, and urged parents and guardians to be vigilant. He said parents are the first line of defense, and many cases of violence against children stem from misguided discipline.
National Children’s Month is observed every November under Republic Act No. 10661, enacted in 2015 to commemorate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Philippines ratified in 1990.
