ECPAT Philippines and Cebuana Lhuillier Join Forces to Combat Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC)
Recognizing the pivotal role that Money Service Businesses (MSBs) play in combatting the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), ECPAT Philippines recently collaborated with Cebuana Lhuillier, a leading MSB in the country, to address this pressing issue. Given the financial dimension of OSAEC crimes, remittance centers and other financial institutions are uniquely positioned to detect, monitor, and report suspicious transactions linked to the exploitation of children. As digital financial transactions become more sophisticated, MSBs have a crucial responsibility to actively engage in protecting vulnerable children by identifying red flags and working with law enforcement agencies.
On May 31, 2024, ECPAT Philippines and Cebuana Lhuillier conducted a comprehensive orientation workshop aimed at transaction analysts, specialists, and officers. This workshop was designed to strengthen Cebuana Lhuillier’s capacity to combat OSAEC by educating its staff on the various techniques used by perpetrators and emphasizing the pivotal role that financial institutions can play in reporting suspicious activities. With a wide network that spans both rural and urban areas, Cebuana Lhuillier’s dedication to community welfare made them a valuable partner for this initiative, reinforcing the need for collaboration between financial services and child protection to effectively tackle illegal activities and protect at-risk children.
The orientation workshop achieved meaningful outcomes, with 32 transaction analysts, officers and key staffs from Cebuana Lhuillier completing the workshop successfully. These participants gained a deeper understanding of how OSAEC offenders exploit financial services, equipping them to identify and flag suspicious transactions. The workshop featured group discussions that provided analysts with the opportunity to evaluate their existing Standard Operating Procedures, identify gaps, and propose enhancements to better align their practices with anti-OSAEC efforts. The training increased awareness of financial red flags associated with OSAEC, including unusual remittances and transactions from high-risk areas. It also inspired participants to refine their internal protocols, strengthening the detection and reporting of potential exploitation cases.

The collaboration underscored the vital role of private sector involvement in child protection, highlighting Cebuana Lhuillier’s commitment to corporate social responsibility in the fight against OSAEC. This partnership illustrates how businesses can contribute to disrupting illegal activities and safeguarding children through targeted training and enhanced operational practices.
Moving forward, ECPAT Philippines aims to build on the success of this workshop by expanding partnerships with additional financial institutions. Broader collaboration would extend the reach of anti-OSAEC training, ensuring more financial entities are empowered to recognize and report suspicious activities. ECPAT plans to develop more tailored training modules featuring real-life scenarios, making the content more applicable for participants. In addition, ECPAT will continue to monitor the effectiveness of training sessions to assess how well the learned skills are being implemented in practice. Advocating for more robust policies that enforce stringent anti-OSAEC protocols within the financial sector is also a key priority, contributing to a safer environment for children.
Increased public awareness campaigns are equally crucial. ECPAT plans to engage communities and encourage them to report any suspicious activities, bolstering the fight against OSAEC on multiple fronts. This holistic approach emphasizes the importance of a united effort, combining the strengths of the private sector, government, and civil society in the shared mission to protect children from sexual exploitation.
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