THE protection and nurturing of the family and family values was once the most important commitment of Church and State. The family is composed of parents and children, that bedrock institution of society that has been and is continually being undermined and destroyed by the gross immorality that is pervading society and its institutions. The proliferation of unrestricted, unblocked child abuse images through the internet service providers or ISPs are partly to blame. Good parents must be aware and alarmed at the danger that this poses to their children who have easy access to the internet.

The pandemic lockdowns highlighted that extreme fragility when families were confined inside their homes. Schools were closed for two years, and movement in public was greatly restricted. In a nation like the Philippines where 17.7 million people live in dire poverty, such overcrowding and compact living have negative harmful effects on family life. Child physical and sexual abuse exploded as a result. Recent statistics on the number of child victims being referred to protection healing centers have shown that the sexual abuse of children by parents has greatly increased.