MANDAUE CITY— In a major push to overhaul and strengthen its child welfare system, the Province of Cebu has officially adopted the National Protection Protocol, the country’s updated rules for handling cases of child abuse, neglect, exploitation, and discrimination, in a ceremonial launching and signing on July 17 in Mandaue City.
"With this launch, we reaffirm our commitment that child protection remains our utmost priority," declared Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Frederick Vida. "We make a promise today that through this ceremonial signing, child protection is always at the forefront of our policy-making and service."
Cebu became only the second province in the Philippines, following Cavite, to implement the Revised Protocol for the Case Management of Child Victims of Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, and Discrimination (CANE+D).
The milestone comes at a critical time when authorities nationwide are battling persistent threats against minors, ranging from domestic physical abuse to the alarmingly rampant growth of online exploitation.
"The revised protocol reinforces our shared commitment to prevent violence, respond effectively to threats, and place child protection at the heart of everything we do. More importantly, it strengthens coordination among our social workers, law enforcement, health professionals, educators, and prosecutors to ensure a faster, more responsive referral system,” Cebu governor Pamela Baricuatro said.
A growing crisis in numbers
The updated protocol lands against the backdrop of staggering data on child exploitation across the country and the region. Data from the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) indicates that child rights violations remain stubbornly high, with 18,089 reported cases in 2024 alone—following 18,756 recorded in 2023.
Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) has emerged as a severe frontier. The Department of Justice (DOJ) handled roughly 2.72 million cyber tip-line reports in a single year.
At the local frontline, DSWD Field Office in Central Visayas recorded nearly 300 cases of violence against women and children in 2025, while assisting over 75 child victims of human trafficking and online sexual exploitation in recent years.
DSWD-7 officials noted that perpetrators increasingly view online exploitation as "easy money," commodifying vulnerable minors.
Unifying the frontline duty-bearers
Developed by the DOJ-chaired Committee for the Special Protection of Children (CSPC), the revised CANE+D protocol updates guidelines surrounding Republic Act No. 7610 (the Anti-Child Abuse Law) alongside newer statutory protections.
The revised framework aims to break down bureaucratic silos and establish a seamless, standardized referral system across key duty-bearers--barangay officials, teachers, and community health workers; Social workers, law enforcement agencies, state prosecutors, and local courts.
The Protocol outlines step-by-step procedures covering every stage of a victim's ordeal—from initial identification, reporting, and law enforcement investigation to court proceedings, psychological rehabilitation, and eventual community reintegration.
During the provincial launch in Mandaue City, Governor Pamela Baricuatro joined DOJ Secretary Frederick Vida to sign a memorandum of understanding solidifying Cebu's operational commitment.
Baricuatro highlighted that the streamlined workflow is urgent, noting recent high-profile incidents involving minors—including school shooting incidents in Tacloban City—that have drawn national scrutiny to the country's juvenile justice and child safety mechanisms.
DOJ Undersecretary Majken Anika Gran-Ong, Provincial
Board Members Stanley Caminero and Neneth Reluya, alongside municipal mayors,
vice mayors, and regional heads of national enforcement agencies, all of whom
signed a shared "Wall of Commitment" to enforce child safety
protocols across Cebu's cities and municipalities. (Photos: Capitol PIO)
