The first meeting of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on the Registry of Blacklisted Aliens and Child Sex Offenders of the National Coordination Center against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM) convened at Bayview Hotel Manila last January 14. The said TWG aims to address critical measures in the fight against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and the proliferation of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials (CSAEM).

The meeting brought together key representatives from various government agencies and partner organizations, emphasizing the importance of a unified, multi-sectoral approach to safeguard children from online harm.

Atty. Arnulfo Dinglasan Maminta of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) delivered the opening remarks, stressing the significance of inter-agency collaboration in crafting effective policies and strategies aimed at eliminating OSAEC and CSAEM.

Key participants included officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Bureau of Immigration (BI), National Privacy Commission (NPC), Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), Philippine National Police Anti-Cyber Crime Group (PNP ACG), PNP Women and Children Protection Center (PNP WCPC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Australian Federal Police, and Stairway Foundation, a prominent child rights NGO.

“The Philippine government is fully committed to safeguarding our children and ensuring that our nation will never be a sanctuary for child sex offenders. We stand firm in our resolve to protect the future of our children and uphold justice” – Department of Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty.

The TWG meeting centered on refining the draft guidelines for the Blacklisted Aliens and Child Sex Offenders Registry. Through workshops, collaborative discussion, and plenary discussions, the participants were able to enhance the latest draft of the guidelines. The updated draft will play a key role in curbing OSAEC and CSAEM by restricting the entry of known offenders into the country and enhancing the government's response to these crimes.

In her closing remarks, DRP Barbara Mae Pagdilao-Flores, Officer-in-Charge of NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM, thanked the participants for their dedication and active involvement, acknowledging the collective efforts in refining strategies to protect children.

This meeting reflects the continued efforts of the NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM and the Philippine Government and its partners to combat online child exploitation and ensure protection of children against online harms and threats.