#BeatOSAEC Campaign of PCW and DDB Group Philippines Goes Global, Wins Bronze at ADFEST 2025
For the first time on the global stage, the #BeatOSAEC campaign of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), in partnership with DDB Group Philippines, gained recognition at the ADFEST 2025—Asia’s premiere international creative festival—held in Pattaya, Thailand from March 20 to 22, 2025.
The campaign’s short film “Play,” part of the “Family Business” series, clinched the Bronze award in the Film Craft Lotus CF01 (Directing) Category, which recognizes directorial vision in enhancing the storytelling and strengthening the core message of a campaign.
Out of 170 international film entries in the Film Craft Lotus, “Play” stood out as one of the 16 Bronze Awardees. Meanwhile, 14 films secured Silver and seven won Gold. The Film Craft Lotus, in particular, celebrates outstanding film productions that demonstrate exceptional artistry and technical expertise in various categories.
The “Family Business” short films, comprising ADFEST 2025 Bronze Winner “Play” and “Mirror”, were produced and published by PCW and DDB Group Philippines in March 2024 to raise awareness on online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM).
Philippine Government Unites Against OSAEC and CSAEM
A 2020 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) study highlighted that “The Philippines has emerged as the center of child sex abuse materials production in the world, with 80 percent of Filipino children vulnerable to online sexual abuse, some facilitated even by their own parents.”
From March 1 to 24 May in 2020, there were 279,166 OSAEC incidents reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), higher by 264.6 percent (or 202,605 more reports) than the 2019 cases of 76,561.
When it comes to cyber tip line reports, the Digital Forensics Platform and Laboratory (DFPAL) of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said that some 3,188,793 captured by NCMEC in 2021 were higher by 138 percent than the 2020 reports of 1,339,597.
In 2022, nearly half a million or roughly 1 in every 100 Filipino children were estimated to have been trafficked to produce new child sexual exploitation materials.
In response to this alarming statistics, the government remained steadfast in bringing perpetrators to justice through landmark laws, such as the Republic Act (RA) No. 11930, also known as Anti-OSAEC and Anti-CSAEM Act, and RA 11862, or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022.
In 2023, the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) reported a 27 percent drop in the number of rescued OSAEC victims from 163 to 119 from the previous period.
In the same year, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 11930, which established the National Coordination Center against OSAEC and CSAEM (NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM) under the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
On June 5, 2024, the DOJ and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) submitted an Executive Order to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., outlining a six-pillar program to fight OSAEC and CSAEM.
President Marcos reinforced this commitment on September 16, 2024, when he led the national campaign against OSAEC during the “Iisang Nasyon, Iisang Aksyon: Tapusin ang OSAEC Ngayon Summit” and announced the creation of the Presidential Office for Child Protection (POCP), a dedicated body that will centralize all efforts, resources, and strategies ensuring the protection of every child.
On December 6, 2024, the President signed Executive Order 79, establishing the “Mahalin at Kalingain Ating Mga Bata” (MAKABATA) program under the DSWD and institutionalizing the MAKABATA Helpline 1383. The MAKABATA Program is a one-stop shop providing reporting, rescue and relief, rehabilitation, and reintegration mechanisms for children in need of special protection (CNSPs), including OSAEC and CSAEM victims.
The DILG, for its part, reported 214 case referrals from the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC), resulting in 98 operations conducted, 413 rescued victims, 88 arrested, and 38 convicted from 2019 to 2024.
“Family Business” Short Films Garner Multiple Awards
Highlighting the government’s successful efforts in the #BeatOSAEC advocacy campaign, PCW and DDB Group Philippines continue to receive local and international recognition for their short films.
On January 28, 2025, “Family Business” won the Gold Anvil Award—the highest honor—in the Public Relations Cause-Related/Public Awareness/Advocacy Category at the 60th Anvil Awards.
On March 18, 2025, it also earned the Meritorious Technical Award of Excellence in the Values Category: Reverence for Family Unit, Marriage, or Responsible Parenthood at the 12th Araw Values Awards.
Further solidifying its international reach, the two short films received a shortlist nomination at Spikes Asia 2025—the region’s oldest and most prestigious award for creative advertising—with the awards ceremony to be held in Singapore on April 24, 2025.
With these milestones, the Philippine government’s fight against OSAEC and CSAEM continues to gain ground, proving that through collective action and creative advocacy, the protection of children remains a national priority—not a family business.