This past October, member churches of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) gathered for regional webinars to raise awareness about online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and share their plans for action. NCCP is a global partner of Presbyterian World Mission. Resource people from ECPAT Philippines (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) and Child Rights Network (CRN) provided presentations to promote awareness. Pastor Hazel Salatan, a United Methodist pastor who is in the faculty development program focused on Christian education at Union Theological Seminary, Philippines, urged churches and faith communities to provide safe spaces for children.
Migrants are one the most vulnerable groups identified in the COVID-19 crisis, but especially so in the Philippines, where about 10 percent of the 100 million total population lives or works abroad because of poverty and lack of employment.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been committed to interconnectional ministry in God’s mission at the local, national and global levels since 1837. Since that time, more than 8,000 mission co-workers have shared the good news of Jesus Christ with millions of people worldwide.
Mary Jane Veloso has 26 days to provide testimony against her traffickers who are currently on trial in the Philippines. She is the last witness for the prosecution. If she successfully testifies, she may be released from prison in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. If she doesn’t, she will remain on death row, awaiting execution for a crime she did not commit.
In the spirit of the Matthew 25 invitation — choosing welcome and standing with people in need — the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and World Mission are collaborating to co-lead upcoming travel study seminars on the complex, interconnected issues of migration and human trafficking.
