Change can come into our lives as a result of a crisis, as a result of choice or just by chance. In either situation, we are all faced with having to make a choice – do we make the change or not? I believe that it is better to be prepared for change because we have more control over how we react to the change we are having to face in our lives. When you are unprepared and resistant to change, then you have no control or choice as to how you want to live your life. You live your life as a reactionary rather than an activator of change.
Hence, our situation today will
certainly determine our result on the future. Covid-19 Outbreak last year was
unprecedented and it became the world’s greatest health predicament which
impedes the normal cycle of our society. But on the brighter side, many
evidences have shown that due to massive lockdowns around the world it helps our
environment to heal and regain its true beauty and most of us realize the
importance of relationship with our family. Along these impacts on our lives
are the unforeseen storm on the cyberworld wherein it became a perfect platform
for perpetrators to emerge various crimes online especially Online Sexual Abuse
and Exploitation of Children. The number of cases has ascended unexpectedly
which put so much bearing on the shoulder of PCMN as one of the prime movers on
ending OSEC in our country.
Adapting to the New Normal
is the most effective way to continue on addressing the issue on OSEC. We must
never cease to implement the project in the city of Dasmarinas. The need to
reach more people through massive awareness campaign and activities are highly
integral to combat this concern. But the question now is how can we make it? We
started to re-assess our strategies on how execute our plans and utilized the
online platform from reaching out partners, creating new line of network and develop
a plan that will tailor-fit on the challenging circumstances brought by this
pandemic. Instead of focusing on the restrictions, we concentrated on the
silver-linings of the situation.
Numerous deliverables were
successfully accomplished. Our commitment about the advocacy made us one in
achieving our goals. The restrictions were never a hindrance for us, but just
part of the obstacles which need to be addressed. Instead of a face-to-face
activity we shifted into virtual webinar serries for Training of Trainers for
Safety of Children Online, wherein we were able to invite renowned speakers to
talk on Child Protection and OSEC. We also changed our approach on reaching the
learners/students, as an alternative to information drive, we matched our
actions with the new plans of DepEd by distributing 55,600 number of Safety of
Children Worksheets and during the first week of classes End-OSEC videos were
simultaneously played on local TV Network in Dasma and on FB Pages. A lot of
change has taken place, from traditional implementers we did not hesitate to
transform into digitalization of all our actions. We are truly grateful for the
wisdom and courage given to us by God. We are all first timers who ventured
into this new level of learning. It may sound cliché but as they always say, you’ll
never know unless you try it.
God allows us to unleash our
hidden skills and talents, our commitment and dedication relies fully to Him,
that we are just His instrument to fully achieve our goals, that this is His
advocacy. With this kind of trust and confidence, we were able to establish a
strong partnership with various stakeholders in the city both government and
private. We appreciate the power of convergence and collaboration. Our work
become easier to be implemented, because with oneness comes success.
Empowering people must
always begin from us, who are the catalyst for this advocacy. Keeping the faith
that God is in control of all the hardship we are facing and by choosing to be
proactive and dig for those gems buried deep within us, we can come-out to be
excellent workers of God. Just remember that perspective influences everything.
At the end of the day, we make the choice to keep looking at our glass of
water, half full. Keep going, be involved and never wait for something to
ignite within yourself hence be the change the is needed to you, today. You
grow, when you change.
