Council for the Welfare Children Executive Director Undersecretary Angelo Tapales (left). (PNA file photo by Ben Briones)
MANILA – The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) on Wednesday vowed to work closely with other government agencies, particularly the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), to address online child sexual abuse and exploitation.
CWC Executive Director Undersecretary Angelo Tapales made this remark during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview after the PNP Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) reported 19,131 cases of violence against children and other child rights violations in 2022.
He said out of this number, 18,513 were violations involving child abuse, rape and acts of lasciviousness as provided under Republic Act 7610, also known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.
As of August 2023, Tapales said the PNP WCPC has already received 11,287 reports of child abuse, rape and acts of lasciviousness.
“For 2024, of course, we will cooperate more closely with the PNP and the NBI, this Women and Children Protection Center in particular,” he said.
He added CWC is also working with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as well as with the private sector to curb down the violence and sexual abuse against children.
Tapales said the CWC is also pushing for the passage of a law promoting positive parenting.
“Hindi naman bawal mamalo ano, bawal manakit ng mga bata in the name of discipline. Bawal na ang corporal punishment iyan po ang gusto natin (Spanking is not prohibited, what it is prohibited to hurt a child in the name of discipline. What we want is corporal punishment is prohibited),” he said.
Tapales said the law would encourage and help parents in raising their children into becoming independent adults in a caring, loving, nurturing and warm manner.
For this year, Tapales said the CWC is also geared towards the creation of a law addressing adolescent pregnancy which is observed to be rising in number nationwide.
He said one of the notable accomplishments of the CWC last year is the increase in budget utilization or its capacity to spend its budget on the implementation of worthwhile projects and its daily operations.
Tapales said CWC’s budget utilization last year reached 90.43 percent –10 percent higher than the 80 percent utilization rate in 2022.
In 2021, the commission’s budget utilization rate was low at 66 percent.
Under the stewardship of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the CWC is mandated to confer Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance annually to deserving local government units (LGUs) through the Child-Friendly Local Governance audit.
“We are also proud to report that in 2022, we had 110 percent increase in the number of LGUs conferred with Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance. From 372 in 2021, it increased to 782 in 2022,” Tapales said.
“So, we recognize that we have a long way to go because there are 1,634, if I’m not mistaken, our LGUs. It’s a quantum leap – 110 percent increase which happened in 2022,” he added.
On Oct. 21, 2023, the CWC relaunched the Makabata Helpline with the landline 1383.
In line with this, the CWC forged 23 memorandums of understanding in 2023, including partnerships with national government agencies like the DOJ, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Labor and Employment, NBI, DSWD, PNP and also with private sector like SM Cares, Philippine Long Distance and Telecommunications Company and Smart Communications.
The MAKABATA TELERADYO started airing in Radyo Pilipinas 3 every Saturday between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Tapales said the CWC executed an MOU with the Philippine Broadcasting Service for its first radio program in 49 years.
“Maganda pong mouthpiece po ito para sa mga kabataan po, talagang ito po ang magbi-ventilate ng kanilang mga hinaing po (That is a good mouthpiece for our children where they can ventilate their concerns),” he added.
The radio program can also be accessed via the official Facebook page of the CWC.
Cooperation with BFI, Fil-Am groups
Meanwhile, House Assistant Majority Leader and Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list Rep. Margarita Nograles has discussed possible areas of cooperation with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Filipino-American advocacy groups in the fight against child pornography.
During their meeting in New York on Tuesday, Nograles said she got information that many sellers of child pornography photos and videos were from the Philippines.
Nograles said discussed with FBI agents how the crimes are being perpetrated and also how perpetrators could be apprehended.
“Alam nyo ba (Do you know)? Every second, the US government receives a tip about a child being exploited through child pornography or pictures/videos being sold online. Worse minsan sariling magulang or kapamilya pa gumagawa nito (Worse sometimes their own parents or relatives were the ones doing it). That's one of the most heartbreaking things I've heard and learned here while still working, even during my personal trip,” Nograles said.
Aside from FBI, Nograles met with Fil-Am advocacy groups Project Ligtas Bata and New Pathways to Enterprise to also discussed livelihood generation for women.
She was also invited by the New York City Consulate to give a talk to the Filipino community. (with a report from Zaldy De Layola/PNA)
