Section 2Sec./Art. 2

Declaration of Policy. The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, psychological and social well-being. Thus, it is the policy of the State to provide special protections to children from all forms of sexual violence, abuse and exploitation especially those committed with the use of information and communications technology (ICT), provide sanctions for their commission and carry out programs for the prevention, deterrence and intervention in all situations of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the digital and non-digital production, distribution or possession of child sexual abuse or exploitation material. Towards this end, the State shall:

(a)Guarantee the fundamental rights of every child from all forms of neglect, cruelty and other conditions prejudicial to their development;

(b)Protect every child from all forms of abuse or exploitation, whether committed with or without the use of ICT, such as when the abuse or exploitation involves:

(1)performances and materials through online or offline means or a combination of both; and

(2)the inducement or coercion of a child to engage or be involved in child sexual abuse or exploitation materials through whatever means.

(c)Comply with international treaties concerning the rights of children to which the Philippines is a signatory or a State party which include, but is not limited to, the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol to theConvention on the Rights of the Childon the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, theInternational Labour Organization (ILO) ConventionNo. 182on theElimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, and the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;

(d)Ensure the right of children to useful, meaningful and safe access to digital technologies that will provide knowledge and develop their understanding of civil, political, cultural, economic and social rights and help them achieve their potential to be empowered, responsible, law-abiding citizens, with the end in view of protecting them from any form of violence online; and

(e)Provide paramount consideration to the interests of children in all actions affecting them, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, executive agencies, law enforcement agencies, local government units (LGUs), legislative bodies, and private business enterprises especially those related to the online safety and protection of children.