Child protection
We ensure that every child grows up in a safe and protective environment.
The current state
Online, in school, or at home, children in the Philippines face the risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect—putting the country on the map for all the wrong reasons.
1 out of 5 children in the Philippines who use the internet is sexually abused or exploited online and
3 out of 5 experienced violent discipline
1 in every 100 trafficked to produce online sexual exploitation material for profit (Scale of Harm, International Justice Mission, 2023)
1 in 6 girls married off before 18
1 out of 3 suffer from school bullying (PISA 2022)
These numbers may be even higher. Many children do not speak up or report these incidents because of shame, fear, mistrust, or worse, ignorance. In some cases, the abuse is initiated, perpetuated, condoned, or disregarded by their family, their school, or their community.
Poverty and the lack of awareness, as well as social, cultural and gender norms, exacerbate a system already beset by a fragmented child protection system. Children or their families do not know how to report and receive piecemeal services. This is caused by insufficient and inequitable investments, capacity gaps, and unclear accountability frameworks.
All data sources can be found at Situation of Children Philippines, unless otherwise noted.
Our goal, our commitment
Children’s protection is priceless. Only when children are safe can they thrive, realize their full potential, and become productive members of society. Only then can the Philippines achieve its national and economic ideals.
To ensure that no child is left unprotected from all forms of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect, UNICEF takes a holistic, multisectoral and systems approach, delving into all aspects of protection—from identification and resolution to prevention, from reporting and monitoring to care and support.
Our work, our initiatives
UNICEF partners with all stakeholders—the Philippine government, schools, civil society, the private sector, as well as parents, caregivers, communities and children themselves—to establish a more robust, responsive, and sustainable child protection system in the national and sub-national levels.
Here are our key efforts:
- developing and scaling up effective child protection systems
- developing accountability frameworks with clear roles and responsibility
- supporting capacity building, especially in implementing and delivering child protection services
- supporting prevention and education
- supporting information management, particularly in the production and use of data and research