This petition is a call to lawmakers to reform and raise the current age of consent in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, The legal consenting age is 12. This means that sex with a child as young as 12 is NOT automatically considered child rape.

• 1 in 5 girls aged 10-13 years old are victims of Sexual Abuse
• 1 in 20 boys of the same age range are also Sexually Abused
• Perpetrators are often Family Members
• 70% of child rape in the Philippines are unreported

The Philippines has the lowest age to determine statutory rape in Asia and one of the lowest in the world. The Global average age of consent is 16. Early initiation of sexual intercourse may have long term-effects to a child’s mental health like anxiety, depression, substance abuse and post-traumatic conditions.

Ikaw, Hahayaan mo bang mapunit ang Bestida?

Sources:

*Republic Act No. 8353 or the Anti-Rape Law of 1997

**UNICEF Philippines. June 2015. https://www.unicef.org/eapro/Country_fact_sheet_Philippines_-final_09Jul15.pdf

***https://www.ageofconsent.net/world/philippines

****https://www.ageofconsent.net/continent/asia

(For Educational purposes only)