Independent Journalist and Child Advocate Jacque Manabat (right) delivered a keynote message at a forum on child-sensitive reporting held in Quezon City on Thursday, September 24.
Photograph by Sean Magbanua
The Quezon City government on Thursday held a half-day forum on child-sensitive reporting at the MICE Center, Quezon City Hall.
Dubbed “Bata sa Likod ng Balita: A Forum on Child-Sensitive Reporting,” the training forum featured discussions on children’s rights and relevant laws, ethical and sensitive interviewing and reporting practices, the responsible use of photos and videos, the protection of children’s identities, and the potential impact of media coverage on children and their families.
“These dialogues are uncomfortable, but with the uncomfortable truths, with this discomfort, we find ways on how to address this,” independent journalist Jacque Manabat said in an exclusive interview with DAILY TRIBUNE.
“As I said [in my keynote address], the system has failed the [Filipino] children. We have failed the children, so we have to talk about these uncomfortable truths,” she added.
The latest 2025 CyberTipline report of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 21.3 million reports involving online child sexual abuse and exploitation images and videos worldwide.
Countries receiving the highest number of total reports, including referrals and informational reports, were the United States with 2,061,893, followed by India with 1,933,900, Indonesia with 1,181,246, the Philippines with 1,069,705, and Pakistan with 848,261.
Manabat stressed that the media should practice responsible reporting when covering sensitive topics involving children.
“It takes a village to raise a child, but we [media] have to put our efforts together to protect the children because that is how we also protect the future of this country and society,” the child advocate told the Daily Tribune.
“If we empower the children, if we make them feel safe, whether it is in school or in other places, then we will have a better future,” the independent journalist added.
Meanwhile, the training forum also featured three sessions including “Beyond the Report: Legal Safeguards for Children in the Media,” discussed by lawyer and child rights advocate Atty. Obed Dela Cruz, “Reporting Children Without Causing Harm,” led by El Pueblo Publico DWIZ anchor Ryan Lao and “The Story Behind the Story: Case Study and Newsroom Simulation,” presented by QC Public Affairs and Information Division (PAISD) head Engelbert Apostol.
