DAVAO CITY (February 12) — The 21st Davao City Council has sounded the alarm: the internet may be a place of learning and connection for children, but it has also become a hunting ground for predators.
Marking Safer Internet Day for Filipino Children, Councilor Bonz Andre Militar pushed for tougher local action against online sexual abuse and exploitation, warning that digital risks are escalating — and communities must respond just as quickly.
“For the Filipino child, the Internet is a vast playground. It is where they learn, where they connect with family abroad, and where they dream. But we must be honest — that playground is not always safe,” Militar said.
He filed a resolution urging parents, lawmakers, and tech companies to act decisively against online sexual abuse of children (OSAEC), cyber bullying, and exposure to harmful content.
Why This Matters in Mindanao
While internet access has expanded rapidly across Mindanao — from urban centers like Davao to remote barangays — child protection advocates warn that online sexual exploitation has also evolved and decentralized.
The Philippines has long been identified by international watchdogs as a global hotspot for online sexual exploitation of children. Poverty, widespread English proficiency, affordable mobile data, and digital payment systems have made the country particularly vulnerable.
In Mindanao, several risk factors converge:
1. Home-Based Exploitation
Unlike traditional trafficking, many OSAEC cases happen inside homes. Exploiters — sometimes even family members or acquaintances — live stream abuse to foreign offenders in exchange for money.
This makes detection difficult because:
- There are no visible brothels or trafficking hubs.
- Transactions occur via encrypted messaging platforms.
- Payments are sent digitally.
2. Pandemic-Driven Surge
Child protection groups previously reported spikes in cases during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when children were forced online for schooling and families faced economic hardship.
Even post-pandemic, the digital dependency remains — increasing children’s exposure to online predators.
3. Unregulated Internet Access
Neighborhood pisonet or piso vendo machines — common in many Mindanao communities — often lack filters that block pornographic and exploitative sites.
Militar noted that many units:
- Operate without business permits
- Are unregistered
- Have no content restrictions
For children without personal gadgets, these machines become unsupervised access points to the internet.
Proposed Local Safeguards
Militar’s push includes:
- Supporting an ordinance proposed by Councilor Richlyn Justol-Baguilod prohibiting online sexual abuse of children and child sexual abuse materials.
- Amending the city’s Internet Café Ordinance to strictly regulate and monitor pisonet operations.
- Strengthening enforcement mechanisms against digital crimes targeting minors.
“We cannot look the other way while our children explore these risks alone. Making the internet safer is not the job of one person; it is a bayanihan effort,” Militar stressed.
The Bigger Digital Battlefield
Child exploitation online is no longer limited to explicit abuse materials. Experts warn of a growing spectrum of risks:
- Grooming through gaming platforms and social media
- Sextortion targeting teenagers
- AI-manipulated images used for harassment
- Peer-to-peer sharing of explicit content
As connectivity deepens across Mindanao — especially in geographically isolated areas — digital literacy often lags behind access.
This creates what child protection advocates call a “connectivity gap in safety.”
A Call Beyond Government
Militar emphasized that enforcement alone will not solve the problem.
He called on:
- Parents to actively monitor screen time and online activities.
- Tech companies to improve parental control tools and content filtering.
- Schools and barangays to strengthen digital safety education.
