How many people use the internet?
Worldwide, a child goes online for the first time every half second. More than 200,000 children use the internet daily, and around 800 million actively engaged on social media. In the Philippines, around half of the 44million internet users are children aged 17 years old and below (Davey, 2017).
What dangers do children face online?
In the Philippines, 1 in 2 children is a victim of violence on the internet. The worst form of this violence is online sexual abuse and exploitation (Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in the Philippines, July 2021).
What is ChildFund doing to create a safer digital world with children?
In February 2023, we launched the Web Safe and Wise campaign in the Philippines. Web Safe and Wise is a global campaign on child online safety being led by the ChildFund Alliance. ChildFund Philippines’ #WebSafeAndWise campaign summarizes its vision of a safer digital world for and with children and their communities through the collective efforts of ChildFund Philippines, the private sector, and the media.
Together with GEMS Heart Outreach Devt., Inc. and CRC Asia in partnership with ChildFund Korea, we also have Protection of Children and Youth in the Online Environment Project (Project Protect CAYO). The project aims to promote and create a safe digital environment for children and youth in the Philippines by creating safe spaces and venue for children and youth to become empowered digital citizens, for them to be able to participate in online and civic engagement safely, ethically, and responsibly as part of their healthy development.