Members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity have offered almost 2000 pieces of pink roses and serenaded women and students in the University of the Philippines Diliman, Manila, and Los Banos campuses to raise awareness against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children on November 9, 18, and 21.
Almost 2,000 pink roses were given to women including campus security guards, students, faculty, and even music personality Kakie Pangilinan, daughter of former Senator and Upsilonian Francis Pangilinan 1981.
The International Justice Mission (IJM) defines Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) is the production, for the purpose of online publication or transmission, of visual depictions such as photos, videos, or live streaming of the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor for a third party who is not in the physical presence of the victim, in exchange for compensation.
According to IJM in 2020 study, within three years, the estimated prevalence rate of internet-based child sexual exploitation in the Philippines more than tripled. It added that the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses used for child sexual exploitation increased from 43 out of every 10,000 in 2014 to 149 out of every 10,000 in 2017.
The study also confirmed the Philippines as a global hotspot for OSEC with data from participating law enforcement agencies globally which showed that the Philippines received more than eight times as many referrals as any other country during the 2010-2017 baseline period.
“Beyond its being a celebration of women, we offer this year’s Day of Roses to the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) campaign. There is an absolute need to bring into light these issues that plague our communities and affect the most vulnerable sector in our society. In living out our ideals of peace and freedom for all peoples, we sought to use this long-standing tradition of handing out pink roses to the university’s students, faculty, and staff as a platform to amplify the campaign and call for a united stance to combat OSAEC and every form of abuse,” said project head Migs Pilapil 2021.
The campaign is part of the Upsilon Sigma Phi’s 104th anniversary which also aims to celebrate women and their valuable contribution to the country. #
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