A child protection organization has called for urgent, collective action as family-based Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) continues to rise in the Philippines, following the release of a new study highlighting the growing involvement of parents and close relatives in the abuse.

The Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA) cited data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline showing that reports of online sexual exploitation of children from the Philippines surged from 800,000 to more than 3 million between 2019 and 2021.

According to CPTCSA’s 2024 study, Kasabwat o Co-facilitator? Redefining Parents who Produce Child Sexual Materials to Use Online, parents or close relatives in many cases act as “kasabwat” or accomplices who knowingly enable or directly participate in the abuse, making these crimes harder to detect, report, and stop.

CPTCSA Executive Director Zenaida Rosales said the fact that some children are exploited by adults who are supposed to protect them is deeply disturbing.

“While poverty increases vulnerability, it never justifies OSAEC, and any act that facilitates exploitation causes serious, long-term harm to children,” she said in a statement.

In Zamboanga del Norte, the local governments of Dipolog City, President Manuel Roxas, and Liloy have committed to working with civil society groups to strengthen barangay child-protection mechanisms, improve referral pathways, and expand digital safety education for children and families.

CPTCSA said it is set to launch its project, “Stopping Cybercrime Against Children: More Safety and Protection on the Internet,” in Dipolog City and President Manuel Roxas on Feb. 10, and in Liloy on Feb. 11. 

The initiative seeks to bolster local systems, improve coordination, and equip children and youth with digital safety skills and clearer mechanisms for reporting abuse.

The launch will coincide with the observance of Safer Internet Day 2026, in line with Proclamation No. 417, under the theme “Ako, Ikaw, Tayo: Konektado at Protektado Laban sa OSAEC at CSAEM.”

The project is backed by Kindernothilfe, a Germany-based international child-rights organization with over six decades of experience in protecting vulnerable children through partnerships with local groups.