2020 Annual Report on the Human Rights Situation in the Philippines 39 facilities, family members and relatives can visit the facility, but they cannot enter beyond the gate barriers. At most, they can only see their children from afar or leave food or personal necessities for them. 111 Despite the pandemic, case management has been ongoing; however in some areas of the country, the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) somehow affected the presence of social workers in BPAs being run by the local government units (LGUs). Social Workers were required to temporarily leave their assignment to assist their LGUs in the distribution of support to their constituents. 112 “Health, Nutrition and Child Protection Referral Pathway for COVID-19 Emergency” was developed by the National Child Protection Working Group (NCPWG), a group composed of government agencies, NGOs, UN agencies. academics and other organizations with the shared objective of ensuring more predictable, accountable and effective child protection responses in emergencies. The Referral Pathway provides for the basic guide on the flow of reporting and referral of cases of child abuse during the COVID-19 Pandemic.165 113 Prior to the pandemic, the Philippines has been labelled as the “global epicenter of livestream sexual abuse trade”166 and the “top global source of child pornography.”167 The government’s seemingly uphill battle against online sexual predators is further hindered by factors that are unique to the pandemic. Because of the limited mobility, there is a significant disruption of child protection services and children have little to no access to helpline services. 114 Law enforcement authorities particularly the Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) of the PNP continued efforts to protect children from online sexual violence or exploitation, especially during this crisis and their continuing cooperation with foreign child protection partners to curb online sexual abuse and exploitation against children (OSAEC) in the country.168 115 Local government units, such as Valenzuela City, that have ensured the continued operation of their Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) desks and other child protection mechanisms for redress. 165 Advisory on the Dissemination of the Referral Pathway, http://rsso04a.psa.gov.ph/article/advisory-referral-pathway 166 Andy Brown, Safe from harm: Tackling online child sexual abuse in the Philippines, available at https://www.unicef.org/ protection/philippines_91214.html (last accessed at June 26, 2020) 167 Patty Passion, Philippines top global source of child pornography – Unicef, Rappler, Dec. 13, 2017, available at https://www. rappler.com/nation/191219-philippines-top-global-source-child-pornography-unicef (last accessed June 26, 2020) 168 Anti-child exploitation drive relentless amid quarantine: PNP. Philippine News Agency, 3 April 2020. Available at: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1098534, accessed 18 May 2020.