Elpidio

     Elpidio Rivera Quirino (1890-1956), the sixth President of the Philippines, was an authentic product of the American era's meritocratic potential, raising up from modest beginnings in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Quirino was the son of a poor family, and his childhood was filled with hard work and perseverance. He was going to law school. Later, he got a job as a court clerk, which he used to pay for his education. Eventually, he graduated with a law degree from the University of the Philippines in 1915 and also passed the bar exam that same year. His legal skills and sharp mind quickly allowed him to enter politics, and thus he began a long period of devotion to a nation that was becoming independent.

Quirino's political career began in earnest in 1919 when he became a Representative for Ilocos Sur and shortly thereafter in 1925 he was elected to the Senate for a long term stint. He became a confidant and a protégé of Senate President Manuel L. Quezon, and while he was working as Quezon's personal secretary, he also gained prominence as being one of the main players in the independence struggle. He was the first to speak of the Philippines in the United States up to 1934 when he was a member of the Independence Mission, which together with him helped the passage of the Tydings-McDuffie Act that granted the Philippines self-government and eventual full independence. He became Secretary of Finance and Secretary of the Interior in the Commonwealth period. However, this brilliant rise was sadly cut short by World War II when he came to be in the resistance movement. The war took a terrible toll on him personally: he lost his wife and three children during the slaughter in Manila in 1945. This family calamity highlighted the gigantic job of rebuilding that he was about to inherit. 

After the war, Quirino was appointed the first Vice President and Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the new Republic under President.

Children

     There's never been a more urgent time to rally a call to arms for our biggest responsibility. This year's National Children's Month Theme as November is National Children's Month is "End OSAEC-CSAEM: Fight for the Safety and Rights of Children!" In short, safety is not enough. For those of us who grew up in a world where we had to protect our children with concern for the worst of the worst, we now have to be not just concerned, but worried, about all of that and more, online and with a click of a button. We no longer need to shelter our children from perverts hiding in bushes on the corner; we need to be aware of how to safeguard them from Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material (CSAEM) - both offenses our children can groom from the safety of their homes and a click of a button.

It's not going to be easy. But the first line of defense the Philippine government has given is Republic Act No. 11930. This newly enacted proposed law is a comprehensive one-stop framework to define the offense, the offenders and what needs to be done to receive maximum life imprisonment - and I mean life imprisonment - for these offenders. Furthermore, it means maximum life imprisonment for the offenders, not punishment - for this comes second to those even given life without parole - best case scenario for international safeguards as the victimized children need access to rescue and immediate psycho-social medical and legal needs - guaranteed since this is more law enforcement and social justice based than offender punishment; restoration of dignity is key.

And thus, where legislation exists, it must be backed by law enforcement. This is where it gets sticky. And this is where the Philippine government has tried to engage all under the NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM, a multidisciplinary critical approach among agencies where everyone from the police tasked with online monitoring for victimized children, to the DSWD who helps survivors get back on their feet and are better equipped with this newly opened up population of survivors.

At the end of the day, it's about resources and education; sustainable budgetary allocations need to be passed so that people can notice signs of abuse, have access technologies readily available and can reach out to children in distress. More than this, it works when people are educated consistently through the archipelago and partner with technological providers for safeguards, awareness at every barangay level, and parents know what to look out for in their homes.

Therefore, National Children's Month has never been a more convincing time, an honored legacy for decades that we all have a stake in preserving a child's dignity. The Philippine government has created a legal avenue where exploitation will not be tolerated; it's up to communities and families to be the first line of defense through awareness and collaboration. It's up to all digital citizens to be aware and take on a community ethos that will not stand for exploitation so that "OSAEC-CSAEM Wakasan" can come true.