Child Protection: Ensuring Children are Safe and Protected
For every child, protection from violence
UNICEF Philippines Child Protection Results 2025
In 2025, UNICEF Philippines worked with government and civil society partners to strengthen child protection and justice systems, supporting new protocols for child victims of abuse, reforms to address online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, stronger local child protection services, and more coordinated systems that help keep children safer online and offline.
2025 Highlights
Stronger, more child-sensitive protection and justice systems
What UNICEF Philippines helped achieve
- The revised National Protocol on Case Management of Child Victims of Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, and Discrimination (CANE+D) was finalized under the Department of Justice-led Committee for the Special Protection of Children, strengthening child-centred pathways for care, referral, and accountability
- UNICEF supported the development of a Scalable Child Protection Systems Model with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and four local government units, helping address fragmentation in child protection service delivery
- Two national roadmaps were advanced to address emerging and persistent protection risks: National Plan of Action to End Child, Early and Forced Marriages and Unions, and the strategic plan and costed implementation framework for the National Coordination Center against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC)
- A new Executive Course on Child Protection was incorporated into the DSWD Academy’s 2026 course offering, helping institutionalize child protection within the national governance framework
- In BARMM, 45 multidisciplinary teams and 22 women and children protection units strengthened their capacity to deliver child protection services
How UNICEF Philippines contributed
- Supported the development of CANE+D through consultations, technical working sessions and a visioning workshop that helped harmonize procedures across sectors
- Provided technical expertise and policy guidance to ensure national child protection roadmaps adopt systems-based, equity-focused approaches with sustainable financing mechanisms
- Partnered with DSWD Academy and the University of the Philippines to co-design the Executive Course on Child Protection
In Focus
The challenge: Online sexual abuse and exploitation of children remain a serious and evolving threat in the Philippines, requiring coordinated action from government, communities, families, civil society and the private sector.
UNICEF's contribution and impact: In 2025, UNICEF Philippines and its partners successfully concluded SaferKidsPH, an Australian Government-funded initiative that strengthened the country's response to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
The programme contributed to the institutionalization of child protection measures through key legislation and policies, including the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act (Republic Act No. 11930).
SaferKidsPH also worked directly with children, parents, schools and communities to promote safer online behaviours through information campaigns and learning activities. The initiative collaborated with private sector partners to establish their own child protection initiatives.
UNICEF Philippines/2025/Anna Paras