CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) has renewed its call for stronger safeguards on social media platforms following recent rescue operations that exposed the continued use of digital spaces to facilitate illegal adoption and the online sale of children.
The call comes after the Philippine National Police–Women and Children Protection Center rescued two infants—a two-day-old baby boy in Angeles City, and a three-month-old baby girl in Baliwag City recently.
The children were reportedly offered for sale online for ₱30,000 and ₱130,000, respectively.
While commending law enforcement for swift intervention, NACC emphasized that rescues alone cannot address the systemic risks faced by children in digital spaces.
The agency stressed the need for preventive, technology-driven solutions to curb trafficking networks that operate openly on social media.
“The rescue of these infants is a testament to the vigilance and dedication of our law enforcers. However, the fight against child trafficking requires the cooperation of all sectors, including technology companies whose platforms are being misused for these illicit activities,” NACC Undersecretary Janella Ejercito Estrada said.
NACC noted that social media platforms remain attractive to traffickers due to their accessibility, scale, and limited real-time monitoring, enabling illegal transactions to occur with minimal barriers.
“Easily, criminals can advertise and transact via social networking platforms which are accessible, free, and remain undetected. I do not believe that there is nothing we can do to stop them,” Estrada said.
Echoing this concern, Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) III Officer-in-Charge Sheila Sicat stressed the importance of vigilance at the local level to prevent similar situations.
“These successful rescue operations in Pampanga and Bulacan underscore the critical role of vigilance at the regional and community levels. RACCO III remains fully committed to working closely with local government units and our partners to combat illegal adoption and child trafficking. We urge the public to remain alert and to report any suspicious activities so we can collectively protect our children from exploitation,” she said.
As of January this year, NACC has identified eight active online groups facilitating illegal adoption and infant sales, underscoring gaps in platform monitoring, content moderation, and rapid takedown protocols.
NACC stressed that child protection in the digital age requires shared responsibility—from law enforcement and social services to technology companies—through proactive detection systems, stronger reporting mechanisms, and closer coordination with government agencies.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, expand child-care interventions for vulnerable families, and advance policies that place children’s rights, safety, and dignity at the center of digital governance. (CLJD/MJSC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)
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