Lockdowns and school closures left children at home with poor parents, desperate to make money.
BBC News, Manila
Fedalyn Marie Baldo has spent months with Eric, his 10-year-old sister Maria and two older brothers to help them understand that theirs is not a normal childhood. Months later, Eric, his brothers and sister ended up at a home run by the charity Preda, which focuses on helping sexually abused children.
President Bongbong Marcos has declared an "all-out war" on child sexual abuse and the industry it has spurred. But so far, it's a war the Philippines is not winning.In Manila, as the clock ticks towards dawn, a team from the National Bureau of Investigation has gathered near a graveyard. As she switches on the camera, around a dozen officers rush through narrow paths to her door. The only warning is when the stray dogs start to bark.
They are working alongside teams from the International Justice Mission, the UK National Crime Agency and the National Police of the Netherlands, and officers in the Philippines, to try to find child sex offenders. Once they've identified them, they try to track down the source of the material. It had become a hub for sex tourism - illegal prostitution between foreign men and Filipina girls often still in their teens and trafficked into the industry, or young women pushed into the sex trade by family pressure and economic desperation.
There are large pads on the walls and floors - the kind gymnasts would use for a soft landing. The only light comes from the open door.The overwhelming sound is the erratic thud of their fists and feet as they pummel the pads.The first raw, anguished cries make your heart stop. And then it starts again, but it's difficult to keep listening, even from a distance, even for a few minutes.
But they are struggling for resources. Their centre near Manila can only afford to take around 100 children a year. But so many more need help.
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