Child rights groups call for protection of Filipino children amid COVID-19

Several international child-rights organizations on Tuesday called on the Philippine government and local government units to intensify efforts against the sexual exploitation of children online amid the enhanced community quarantine.

According to Euan Crawshaw, the Philippine Country Manager of Terre des Hommes-Netherlands, individuals may experience boredom or economic stress which may push them to engage in risky behavior.

“As the lockdown bars many people from going to work, they look for various alternatives to sustain [their] family income," Crawshaw said in a statement.

"Going online to sell sexually explicit materials is among the options, particularly in the Philippines where OSEC has been rampant even before the [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic,” he added.

A previous report stated that there has been an increase in the number of live streams of child sex abuse from the Philippines to the world.

Due to this, the Joining Forces Alliance -- composed of the ChildFund Alliance, Plan International, Save the Children, SOS Children's Villages, Terre des Hommes International Federation, and World Vision -- recommended the following:

• Ensure that mechanisms for reporting, referral, and responding to online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC)  are functional at all times
• Raise awareness on OSEC through television, radio, and social media
• Establish a database and monitoring system for OSEC reports related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Local government units, meanwhile, were recommended to:

• Provide adequate financial and material assistance to families whose livelihoods are affected
• Ensure that prevention measures are functional at all times
• Devise alternative reporting mechanisms that are more accessible to the public
• Consider the unique needs of victims of violence

Salena Fortich, Plan International's Country Program Manager for Child Protection, said that the COVID-19 response should address the risks and vulnerabilities of children in low-income households.

"Social protection and safety net interventions for the COVID-19 response should address heightened and complex physical and economic risks and vulnerabilities of children and low-income households," she said

"Government interventions should focus on Filipino workers whose source of income was affected due to the temporary closure of business and work, as well as families living below the poverty line," she added. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News