Project CONEC launched to protect Filipino children from online sexual exploitation

In celebration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (WDAT), Terre des Hommes Netherlands, ECPAT Philippines, and Bidlisiw Foundation joined hands to launch Project CONEC or Creating a safer Online Environment for Every Child last July 31, 2023 in Cebu City.

According to a release from Terre des Hommes, Project CONEC aims to protect children of all ages and gender from online sexual exploitation by strengthening local child protection systems through close collaboration with children, communities, civil society organizations, government agencies and service providers.

In 2022, a report entitled Disrupting Harm in the Philippines found that an estimated two million children in the country were subjected to online sexual abuse and exploitation in only a span of a year. Furthermore, the report underscored how the online world made it easier for offenders to sexually abuse and exploit children. For instance, 38% of children surveyed shared that they received offers of money or gifts from unknown individuals on social media in exchange for sexual images.

Discussion on the status of exploitation in the Philippines | Image source: Terre des Hommes

Eva Maria Cayanan, country director of Terre des Hommes Netherlands in the Philippines, acknowledged the efforts of the Philippine government but stressed the difficulty in enforcing the laws addressing the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).

“Despite the country’s relatively advanced laws on child protection, the implementation of these laws remains to be challenging. Without fully functional child protection mechanisms, gaps in existing programmes and services, and limited investment from the local and national governments, it would be difficult to sustainably address the issue of OSEC,” Cayanan said.

The Transforming Systems: Connecting Children (2023) study under Project CONEC revealed that nine out of 10 children and eight out of 10 parents/community members consulted in the study said that they are unaware of OSEC cases in their communities, which limit their capacity to prevent and respond to it.

“Many children, just like in my community, are still unaware of the OSEC issue. We need to use technology, including social media platforms, as a way to raise awareness on it, and to call for the strict implementation of local policies that will end OSEC. We need to make children’s needs visible in fighting this issue,” said Uriel, a child advocate from Cebu Province.

The difficulty of addressing OSEC calls for a system strengthening approach, which Project CONEC aims to carry out, including a combination of awareness raising, national and local level policy advocacy, and capacity-building activities. This project will also address the multiple layers of issues and realities of OSEC, and promote social protection, including provision of appropriate services that will provide victims, children at risk, and their families a jump start in life through the Social Protection Package.

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Chris Layugan