With children spending more time at home due to COVID-19 threat, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VIII issues today an advisory for families to have a close watch on their children. She said parents should spend quality time with kids and teach them to be productive.

DSWD Regional Director, Marie Angela Gopalan, said we should give our children utmost protection as kids are vulnerable to exploitation. She emphasized that internet has become an integral part of modern life and that Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) has become a lucrative business.

Based on DSWD Field Office VIII report, two OSEC cases have been reported to the agency for the first half of the year. One is a 13 – year – old girl from Silago in Southern Leyte and a 17 – year – old teenager from Tacloban. These cases were referred to the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Unit for surveillance, Tiffany Jane Go, in charge of the Referral System for the Recovery and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons of the DSWD Field Office VIII.

The DSWD, which takes the lead, turns over cases to the local social welfare and development office for case management and to facilitate the reunification of victim-survivors to family, or their admission to temporary shelter for protective custody.

Go added that DSWD has been providing technical assistance to LGUs on how to handle cases. Also, it provides educational, livelihood, transportation assistance, among others to the victims.# #DSWDMayMalasakit #MaagapAtMapagkalingangSerbisyo

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