BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) reported 33 cases of child abuse, while 48 involved in Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) were recorded from January to March this year.
According to CSWDO Officer Liza Daisa Bulayungan, of the 33 cases, 16 have been formally filed, while 17 have not yet been filed.
Based on the report, non-incest rape was the most prevalent type of abuse with 14 incidents, followed by physical abuse with eight; acts of indecency with four; and rape with three.
One case was recorded for emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and child labor.
Fourteen of the victims were unrelated to their abusers. In cases where a relationship with the victim was identified, biological fathers had the highest number of known perpetrators with six cases, followed by neighbors and friends with three cases each.
Other perpetrators included an employer, a family driver, an uncle, a lover, a grandmother’s common-law partner, a maternal grandmother, and a live-in partner, with one case each.
Most of the victims were female, with 29 or 87.9 percent, while four or 12.1 percent were male.
Most of the victims belonged to the 12-15 age group with 20 or 60.6 percent, followed by the 16-17 age group with eight or 24.2 percent. Four belonged to the 9-11 age group, and one each fell under the 6-8 and 0-5 age groups.
In total, 26 are currently in school while seven are out-of-school youth.
In 2025, there were 180 documented victims of child abuse, with 65 cases filed and 115 remaining unfiled.
Physical abuse topped the list with 50 reported incidents, followed by non-incest rape with 31 cases, general sexual abuse with 23 cases, and neglect with 19 cases.
Thirty-two victims were unrelated to their abusers, while the rest had known perpetrators including biological fathers, mothers, stepfathers, and neighbors.
Most of the victims were female, with 117 or 69.2 percent, and 82 or 48 percent were in the 12-15 age group.
Meanwhile, a total of 48 cases of Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) were reported in the first three months of 2026, with theft and physical harm being the most prevalent offenses with 22 and 20 cases, respectively.
Rape had two cases, while one case each was recorded for reckless imprudence, murder, malicious mischief, and bullying.
Preliminary data from January to March shows a continuation of the trends observed last year.
In 2025, the city recorded a total of 168 cases of CICL. Theft and physical harm were also the top offenses with 48 and 40 cases, respectively, followed by assault with 28 cases.
Male minors had the highest number of cases. In the first quarter of 2026, 75 percent or 36 cases involved males, while 25 percent or 12 cases involved females.
In 2025, males accounted for 85.7 percent of the total cases.
Teenagers between the ages of 12 and 15 represent the age group at greatest risk, accounting for 72.9 percent or 35 cases of the current total in 2026.
Minors aged 16-17 account for 25 percent, while the age group 9-11 accounts for only 2.1 percent.
A large majority of the minors involved are still in school. In the first quarter of 2026, 85.4 percent or 41 minors were students, while 14.6 percent or seven minors were out-of-school youth.
CSWDO uses rehabilitation and case management for these cases.
Of the 48 cases recorded this year, eight have been formally filed while 40 are yet to be filed.
CSWDO continues to monitor these statistics to review current social welfare interventions and strengthen child protection programs at the community level in collaboration with other offices and agencies, including the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
These efforts are complemented by the active support and participation of various non-government organizations in assisting victims.
As part of their outreach, CSWDO aims to shift from reactive care to proactive prevention.
Bulayungan said a set of key recommendations were put forward to better protect children in the community.
