TAGUM CITY — Aside from community stakeholders on child protection, parents nowadays bear the greatest challenge to safeguard children from online sexual abuse and exploitation.
Regional Sub-committee for the Welfare of Children (RSCWC)-Dava Regional Coordinator Renee Boy Birondo pointed this out as he pushed for the integration of “digital parenting” in the modules of Parent Effectiveness Services (PES).
“Adunay hagit ang mga ginikanan how to regulate these gadgets didto sa iyang mga anak ang pagdisiplina, ang pag monitor,” he said as guest during the latest episode of the Kapihan sa DavNor held at the PTV DavNor 48 that focused the discussion on Osaec-CSAEM (Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children- Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials).
(There is a challenge for parents on how to regulate these gadgets for their children, to discipline, and to monitor.)
Binondo noted the challenges that parents face as they tend to lag in digital access compared to their children, who are more exposed to online community influences unknown to their parents and guardians.
Citing the need for full parental involvement in protecting children from adverse online influences, Binondo said, pointing out the importance of integrating the concept of “Digital Parenting” in the PES modules.
“Duna tay balaod nga Parenting Effectiveness Service, PES. Klaro DSWD module, sa SWAD (Social Welfare and Development) Laws that all LGUs should have PES facilitator and develop PES module. Didto nato na isulod karon,” he said.
(We have the law on Parenting Effectiveness Service, PES. It is clear in the DSWD module, in the SWAD Laws, that all LGUs should have a PES facilitator and develop a PES module. It is there that we will now integrate this.)
Binondo was referring to the provisions of Republic Act No. 11908 (2022) or the “Parent Effectiveness Service Program Act”, mandating the establishment and implementation of the PES Program nationwide to strengthen parental involvement in child development.
Section 7 of such law further requires that “the PES Program shall be implemented by cities and municipalities through their respective social welfare and development offices and LGUs” to institutionalize PES at the local level.
Binondo also called on local government units to create PES modules that integrate the five child protection policy settings: home, school, community, disaster, and online.
“We always push for the child protection policy (CPP) ordinance, nga dapat kining (that the) 5 settings sa CPP ordinance nga mapasok gyud ning digital parenting,” he said.
“We wanted to recognize the existing mechanism; ang nakita nato diha ang PES Law nga naay mandate sa local government nga pwedeng mag-develop ang local government ug PES module, i-incorporate nato ang digital parenting based on the PES law,” he added.
(What we’re looking at is the PES Law that mandates the local government to develop a PES module to which we can incorporate the digital parenting based on the PES Law.)
During the same Kapihan sa DavNor episode, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) Assistant Department Head Lanny Guinit assured the commitment of PSWDO to do what is necessary to protect the children and to extend technical assistance to local government units to strengthen their “child protection policies in terms of response and preventive measures.”
“Sa atong mga local government, challenge kaayo, in terms of funding and personnel. Pero sa hisgutanang pag-protect sa atong mga kabataan, kinahanglan gyud ni siyang buhaton sa mga LGUs including the provincial government, through sa pag-assist sa atong mga cities and municipalities under our province,” Guinit said referring to the challenges in the process of integrating the Digital Parenting in the PES modules.
(To the local government, this is a great challenge, in terms of funding and personnel. But on the matter of protecting our children, LGUs have to do this, including the provincial government, through assisting the cities and municipalities under our province.) PIA DAVAO