Marcos forms office to protect children from online sexual abuse

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the creation of a presidential office to prevent the continued rise of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) cases in the Philippines.

Marcos issued Executive Order 67 on Friday creating the Presidential Office for Child Protection under the Office of the President. This will be headed by the presidential adviser for child protection, whose appointment has yet to be announced. 

In the executive order, Marcos touted the government's familiar campaign of using a "whole-of-nation approach" to address the increasing OSAEC cases in the Philippines, alongside other threats to the welfare of children.

This approach aims to "[strengthen] existing institutional and legal framework on child protection," Marcos said in his EO. 

EO 67 tasks the Presidential Office for Child Protection with submitting policy recommendations to the president and monitoring the implementation of presidential directives or priority programs and projects on the welfare and protection of children.

The office is also directed to work with the Council for the Welfare of Children and civil society groups in creating the government's national plan for children's welfare.

The Philippines was named the "global epicenter of live-stream sexual abuse trade of children" by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in 2016 due to the sheer number of posts online sexually abusing and exploiting minors that originate from the Philippines.

From 2021 to 2022, a staggering 72% of all child abuse cases on average involved sexual abuse or assault, according to data collected by the Council for the Welfare of Children in government hospitals.

The Philippines was the “global epicenter of live-stream sexual abuse trade of children" by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in 2016 due to the sheer number of posts online sexually abusing and exploiting minors that originate from the Philippines.

From 2021 to 2022, a staggering 72% of all child abuse cases on average involved sexual abuse or assault, according to data collected by the CWC in government hospitals.