The Safety for Children and their Rights onLine (SCROL) Project has been successfully launched last February 17 and 20, 2023.
The project launching was conducted to formally introduce the start of the project along with its scope and coverage. The project covers 3 years from November 2022 to October 2025. The partner LGUs for this project are from the City of Naga and the Municipality of Minglanilla for the Cebu South area, and Municipalities of Santa Fe and Bantayan in the Bantayan Islands for the North. This was conducted in the City of Naga City hall, in their VAL Hall and Beach Placid, Function Hall in Santa Fe Bantayan.
The initiative aims to address the increasing risks that children face in the digital world, including exposure to harmful content and online sexual exploitation. Through a multi-faceted approach, the project aims to provide education and resources to different stakeholders including children themselves to ensure that they have the knowledge and tools to navigate the online world safely and that they may be made aware of their rights. The project will also work closely with telecommunication agencies, technology companies, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations to develop and implement policies and practices that prioritize child safety.
The launchings were represented by different sectors from the community attended by the barangay leaders, parents and/or caregivers, children, and youth representatives, relevant civil society and community-based organizations, law enforcement officers, representatives from the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) headed by their respective Sangguniang Bayan Councilors for Women and Children with their secretariats, and the heads of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office. The event was also attended by the information and communication sector and tech companies, SMART Communications and Symph.
The highlight of the event was when the children and youth representatives called the stakeholders and duty bearers to hold their accountability to provide prevention, create or enhance programs and services, and protect children from being exploited online. In turn, the private sector and the local government units responded to the call and accepted the challenge by means of committing to the project. By bringing together a wide range of stakeholders, this project has the potential to make a real difference in protecting the rights and well-being of children in the digital age.
