Recently, an allegedly dangerous online challenge known as “Momo Challenge” called the attention of the public. It quickly circulated in the internet and was even intensified by the news media. Little does everyone know that such news started circulating in other countries in 2018 and unverified stories about this only sensationalized this safety issue among children. BBC News published a fact-checking article stating this hype is a hoax.
While there is only so much we can do in safeguarding the internet to become a safer space for children, we should first realize the impact of what we do, as adults, in intensifying the negative impact of the cyber world. We call on to everyone not to be easily swayed and resist to share unverified information in the internet. Moreso, participating in turning this serious matter into a joke as it may normalize the potentially harmful content.
On 26 February 2019, the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office III participated in the celebration of Safer Internet Day (SID) with the theme “Together for a Better Internet”. According to the SID’s website, this is “a call to action for all stakeholders to join together and play their part in creating a better internet for everyone, and especially for younger users.” Alongside with this is also the National Child Abuse Awareness Week Poster Making cum Information Caravan.
The said activity conducted at the Angeles City National High School. Edgardo De Guzman got the 3rd place. Joshua Gagarin won 2nd best art work and explains his creation as we, being the netizens, should apply ethics in using the internet while Lavina Tacobanza who bagged the Best Poster award drew a naked girl representing the vulnerability of the children in the internet and the scissors representing us who cuts the links of child sexual abuse in the cyberspace.
Lavina Tacobanza
Joshua Gagarin
Edgardo De Guzman
Parents and guardians should avoid causing unnecessary alarm to the public by refusing to share unverified links that may harm their family or other children. Instead, we should focus on educating children about internet safety by being non-judgmental of their practices but rather starting an open, trusting and caring conversation about what children are accessing.
The said event was organized by ECPAT Philippines (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking), Regional Inter-agency Committee on Anti Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children, Anti-Child Pornography, Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children and the City Social Welfare and Development Office of Angeles City.
Story by: Reiner Grospe | Photos by: Sherryl Santos
