Three Anti-OSAEC-CSAEM Justice Zones of Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, and Ozamis City have successfully concluded their respective strategic planning sessions following their official launch. These planning sessions mark a significant milestone in enhancing collaboration, coordination, and efficiency in addressing cases involving Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM).

The Justice Zone initiative, spearheaded by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) with the collaboration and full support of Governance in Justice Programme (GOJUST), was established to strengthen justice delivery systems with a focused approach to addressing critical issues like OSAEC and CSAEM. Through these strategic planning sessions, the three cities have developed tailored plans to combat child exploitation and abuse while aligning with national priorities.

The Department of Justice-National Coordination Center against OSAEC and CSAEM (DOJ-NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM) actively participated in these sessions to ensure that the plans formulated by the Anti-OSAEC-CSAEM Justice Zones are aligned with the multi-year strategic action plan currently being developed by the NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM. This alignment ensures a unified and comprehensive approach to combatting OSAEC and CSAEM across local and national levels.

The NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM’s active involvement underscores its dedication to ensuring that local justice zone efforts complement the national strategy to protect children and combat exploitation. By integrating local action plans with the multi-year strategic action plan, these justice zones aim to create sustainable mechanisms for preventing and responding to OSAEC and CSAEM cases.

The planning sessions were conducted with the full support and guidance of GOJUST, which aims to improve access to justice for all Filipinos. Its support emphasizes the importance of fostering effective local justice systems to address critical issues such as OSAEC and CSAEM.

The Tri-City Anti-OSAEC-CSAEM Justice Zones in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Ozamis serve as pioneering models for addressing the complexities of child exploitation cases involving OSAEC and CSAEM. These planning sessions not only highlighted the unique priorities of each justice zone but also underscored their shared commitment to improving systems, policies, and practices to safeguard children and deliver justice.

With the conclusion of these strategic planning sessions, the Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Ozamis Anti-OSAEC-CSAEM Justice Zones are poised to lead the way in fostering a justice system that is efficient, effective, and firmly focused on protecting children and dismantling the networks that exploit them.