Left photo: DSWD Protective Services Bureau Director Alicia Bonoan encourages the public to take part in protecting children’s welfare and rights in her message of support during the Break the Silence National Network Launch.
Right photo: Director Bonoan poses with the executives of Stairway Foundation, Inc. and the civil society organization (CSO) members of the Break the Silence National Network during a photo opportunity.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the lead agency in the protection and promotion of children’s welfare and rights especially the disadvantaged and vulnerable, pledged to fully support the call to end child sexual abuse and exploitation during the Break the Silence National Network Launch held on Monday at the Philippine Christian University (PCU).

Break the Silence is a campaign against child sexual abuse and exploitation started by Stairway Foundation, Inc., a children’s rights organization. The network launch was co-organized by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) with Stairway Foundation and served as the kick-off activity for the observance of the 21st National Awareness Week for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation or the Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Week (CSAAW) from February 6 to 10.

Present during the launch were DSWD Protective Services Bureau (PSB) Director Alicia Bonoan, Ambassador Jan Top Christensen of Denmark, Stairway Foundation Executive Director Lars Jorgensen, CWC Executive Director Patricia Luna, and PCU Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Kathleen Rose L. Gumbatan. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative Lotta Sylwander and DepEd Undersecretary Alberto Muyot also graced the event.

In her message of support, Director Bonoan said that the DSWD strongly supports the call to end child abuse & exploitation and gives primary consideration to the welfare of children. She encouraged the public to take part in protecting children’s welfare and rights.

“All of us have roles to play in protecting the welfare and rights of children, especially those who are vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. We are all duty bearers and are bound to be the key players. At the forefront of implementation of the law in protecting our children, we must know the signs and indicators that may place them at risk,” Dir. Bonoan said.

“Every child is a fragile soul that needs to be guarded. Children’s access to justice is a serious matter as it runs alongside the context of child healing, recovery, and rehabilitation while helping the child access to justice. We must make sure that children are not re-victimized, re-traumatized, or subjected to another form of abuse. We have to move fast but effectively and efficiently for our children and their future,” she added.

For his part, Danish Ambassador Christensen highlighted the persistence of the problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation both in Denmark and in the Philippines.

“Break the Silence is a very important initiative. We see the persistence of the problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation. We must prevent it and fight it,” he said.

Country Representative Sylwander, on the other hand, shared the results of the National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children (NBS-VAC) conducted by the UNICEF and its partners in 2015 and emphasized the importance of breaking the culture of silence when it comes to child sexual abuse.

“There is a culture of silence. Children do not speak out and often put the blame on themselves. If we want to protect them, we need to break this silence. We need to help them realize that it is possible to speak out and that it is not their fault,” Sylwander stressed.

DepEd Undersecretary Muyot, likewise, joined the call against child abuse and exploitation. He said that Break the Silence serves as an inspiration to reach out to ensure that children are abused no more.

CWC Executive Dir. Luna highlighted this year’s theme of the Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Week, which is “We Are the Solution.”

She said that this year’s theme emphasizes the significance of “We” which pertains to the convergence of efforts from every individual in the community in ending child sexual abuse.

“Breaking the silence is not easy. It will be a hard work. It will be a tedious process so the children have to feel that we are with them and that we are supporting them. Let us give children the opportunity to express themselves so they will be empowered. Let us make them partners in making the Philippines child-friendly,” she said.

The Break the Silence network launch also included the recognition of its 50 civil society organization (CSO) members from different parts of the country.

Other activities in observance of the CSAAW include a round table discussion with Quezon City family court judges and prosecutors on the Kids and Teen Court Awareness Program, which was also held yesterday in a different venue and a learning day with children on February 11. ###