CWC partners with Ecpat to bolster child abuse reporting system

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) on Wednesday partnered with a non-government organization to streamline its reporting system for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

In a signed memorandum of understanding, CWC partnered with End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (Ecpat) – Philippines to combine its Makabata Helpline with the latter’s eProtectKids system.

The Makabata Helpline can be reached through the following numbers: telephone at 1383, mobile at 09193541383 (Smart) and 09158022375 (Globe), its official Facebook page, and email at [email protected], while eProtectKids can be accessed through its website at ecpat.org.ph/report/.

The Makabata Helpline is the CWC’s reporting system which provides a means of reporting abuses, exploitation and neglect of children, while the eProtectKids serves as a reporting system online for child exploitation materials.

“With the support of the national government agencies, law enforcement agencies, private sector, and NGOs and CSOs, we would be able to make a dent on the high incidence of sexual abuse, particularly online sexual abuse against children in the country,” said CWC executive director Angelo Tapales.

Citing data from the Philippine National Police Women and Children protection center, a total of 17,681 cases of child rights violations were recorded in 2023, of which over 6,000 were in violation of child abuse law, including rape of children and acts of lasciviousness.

This, according to Tapales, proves that the Philippines remain as a hotspot of online sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children.

“Hopefully, our law enforcement agencies, national government agencies, and our partners in the private sector like Ecpat will help us in this battle. That’s why [this memorandum of understanding] is very important for CWC,” Tapales said.

“Having Ecpat on our side, and having eProtectKids to supplement or complement the services being provided by the Makabata 1383 will of course increase the protection being afforded to our children,” he added.

Ecpat Philippines executive director Ana Maria Dionela, meantime, stressed the importance “strengthening ties that bind” against child abuse.

“We want to seal further our partnership with CWC through the Makabata Helpline and the eProtectKids,” said Dionela.

“The eProtectKids aims to strengthen data collection, monitoring, reporting and referral of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials,” she said.

Dionela added that the need to raise awareness on such reporting systems which would would empower sexual abuse victims and their families to have the capacity to take action against such incidents.