Ongoing Partnership with Olongapo City Police Reaches 350 Students

As part of our ongoing partnership with the Olongapo City police for their Bisita Turo Program (Police Community Teaching Program), we hosted an Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) seminar. This seminar emphasized online safety tips and reporting hotlines for Grade 4-6 students from Kalaklan Elementary School and youth leaders from the barangay. We also distributed OSAEC activity and information booklets, empowering 350 students to protect themselves online.

Education is crucial in addressing the issue. The majority of teens, and even younger children, have Facebook accounts. One of the young generation’s hobbies is to visit local internet cafes, making them vulnerable to predatory behavior. Unfortunately, there is not enough emphasis on teaching them how to keep their personal information safe. Moreover, there is limited discussion about appropriate online behavior and the risks associated with easily accessible video messaging, which can be exploited by predators offering money. To address this, we are implementing “cyber safety” education programs in targeted schools in marginalized districts of the Philippines. Our focus is on regions identified as highly at risk of trafficking or abuse.

As young as these students are, they shared their experiences of receiving messages from strangers on their social media accounts, asking for their GCash account (a mobile wallet and payment service in the Philippines), or requesting to be friends with them. This seminar increased their awareness of online safety and provided them with essential knowledge on how to protect themselves. They also feel confident about where to report abuse or potential threats. Additionally, they shared that they will have their parents implement parental control on their social media accounts. We are grateful for opportunities like this to work with the police in our mission to protect children from abuse and exploitation.

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