President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued Executive Order No. 67 creating the Presidential Office for Children Protection (POCP).
The POCP’s sole function is to protect children from abuse and exploitation. It seeks to address Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) cases among other threats to the welfare of Filipino youth.
Mr. Marcos said the establishment of the POCP is “imperative to ensure a whole-of-nation approach in strengthening existing institutional and legal framework on child protection.”
The office will be headed by the Presidential Adviser for Child Protection (PACP) and will be under the control and supervision of the Special Assistant to the President.
“The POCP shall monitor and harmonize government thrusts, policies, and programs relative to the protection of children and the promotion of their welfare,” read the four-page EO signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on August 6.
It is also tasked to submit policy recommendations to the President and monitor the implementation of Presidential directives.
Moreover, the PACP will be a member of the National Coordination Center (NCC), the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), the National Council Against Child Labor (NCACL), and the Committee for the Special Protection of Children (CSPC).
