OSAEC in the Philippines: what parents and communities need to know

OSAEC stands for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. It covers any sexual abuse or exploitation of a child that involves the internet or digital technology. The Philippines has been identified, by international child protection organisations and the Philippine government, as one of the countries most affected.

What OSAEC includes

• Livestreamed abuse: children abused in front of a camera while offenders, often abroad, watch and pay
• Producing, selling or sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM or CSAEM)
• Grooming children online for sexual purposes
• Sextortion: threatening a child with sexual images. See sextortion.
• Pressuring children to send sexual images of themselves

Why it happens in the Philippines

Several factors have been identified by researchers and child protection organisations:

• Widespread internet access, mobile money transfers and English skills that make contact with foreign offenders easy
• Poverty and economic pressure on families
• Offenders abroad who pay for livestreamed abuse
• In many cases, facilitators who are known to the child: parents, relatives, neighbours or caregivers, who may tell themselves "it's only online" or "no one touches the child"

That last point is important. OSAEC is not only about strangers on the internet. It can happen inside homes and communities.

The law

Republic Act 11930, the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act of 2022, strengthened the response to OSAEC. Among other things, it:

• Makes OSAEC and CSAEM serious crimes with heavy penalties
• Applies whether or not the offender is a relative or the child "agreed"
• Requires internet service providers, platforms, banks, e-wallets and money transfer companies to detect, block, report and preserve evidence
• Allows authorities to act against facilitators, including parents and relatives

It works alongside RA 9775 (Anti-Child Pornography Act), RA 7610 (special protection of children) and RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act). See Philippine laws that protect children online.

Signs in a household or community

Possible signs that a child is being exploited include:

• A child often kept indoors with a phone or computer, or in a room with a webcam
• Unexplained money transfers from abroad to a household
• Adults with unusual amounts of money and no clear source
• A child who seems fearful, withdrawn, or has sexual knowledge beyond their age
• Children from several households gathered at one house with devices

These signs can have innocent explanations, so don't investigate yourself. Report what you've seen to people trained to assess it.

How to report

• 911 if a child is in immediate danger
• CICC hotline 1326
• PNP Women and Children Protection Center or PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group
• NBI (Anti-Human Trafficking or Cybercrime divisions)
• Your barangay (BCPC or VAW desk) or the local social welfare office (MSWDO or CSWDO)
• Bantay Bata 163

You can report even if you're not sure. See how to report online child abuse.

What parents can do

• Teach children body safety, including online. See body safety for young children online.
• Make sure children know they can tell you anything, including about relatives or adults they trust.
• Learn the grooming warning signs.
• Talk about OSAEC in your community, school PTA and parish. Silence protects offenders.