Philippines: Bringing to light safeguarding as a mission of all

By Anne Preckel 

A conference highlighting the Church’s mission to protect minors and vulnerable persons has taken place in the Philippines, marking an important step in strengthening safeguarding efforts in the country.

It was the first national conference of its kind in the Southeast Asian island nation – a country that stands as a stronghold of the Catholic Church in the region. Experts from across the Philippines and neighbouring Southeast Asian nations took part.

More than 300 delegates – including bishops, religious superiors, members of religious orders, and lay experts – gathered for four days in Angeles City, Pampanga Province, under the theme “Our Mission of Protection: A Journey of Hope and Compassion.”

The event was jointly organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM), the Conference of Major Superiors of the Philippines (CMSP), and the Manila-based Catholic Safeguarding Institute (CSI).

Making safeguarding a shared mission

Coleen Rae Ramirez-Panahon, Scientific Director of the CSI, told Vatican Radio that the country’s first national safeguarding conference brought new visibility to the idea that safeguarding is a mission shared by all.

“In the past, the issue might have remained in the shadows and been seen as the responsibility of only a few,” the Philippine expert explained.

“Now, the most immediate step we can take is to share what we’ve gained from the conference – above all, the conversion and commitment of our wider communities to safeguarding. We must bring everyone on board and open up the conversation, so that fears and apprehensions begin to fade. It’s equally important to get to know the vulnerable people in our midst, to understand their situations, their barriers, and their hopes. Only then can we shape the protective measures that pastors must adopt in their own parishes.”

The conference offered a rich range of learning opportunities on various aspects of safeguarding. Ramirez-Panahon highlighted sessions on accompanying both victims and perpetrators, canon and civil law, prevention and universal guidelines, and systems of child protection in different contexts – from parishes and schools to online spaces – as well as reflections on the spirituality of child protection.

She also found the “diverse mix of participants” especially valuable. “Bishops, clergy, religious men and women, and lay people had the opportunity to learn side by side,” she said. Participants also examined the Second Annual Report of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

Strengthened by the Pope’s message

According to Ramirez-Panahon, the message sent by the Pope to the conference “was deeply appreciated and received with immense gratitude and renewed strength by all participants.”

“Personally,” she added, “I felt not only the support of the Holy Father but also a profound sense of solidarity with the universal Church. It was a confirmation that the Church in the Philippines does not carry this mission of protection alone, but as one with the whole Church. I hope the Pope’s message has inspired everyone to return to their respective regions with fresh energy and renewed commitment to this shared mission.”