MANILA, Philippines – “Enough is enough.”
This is the call of a group of survivors of abuse at the hands of their teachers coming together to stop the perennial problem of sexual harassment in Philippine schools. They’ve formed a campaign with the same name: Enough is Enough.
In recent years, students and their supporters have come forward on social media, detailing abuse they suffered from teachers in schools mandated by law to be safe spaces. In 2020, there were numerous #DoBetter campaigns addressed to the school administrations of Miriam College, St. Paul College Pasig, St. Theresa’s College Quezon City, Ateneo de Manila University, School of the Holy Spirit of Quezon City, Marikina Science High School, and Bulacan State University, among others.
More recently, Vice World News released in June a bombshell report on a “culture of sexual abuse” that reportedly thrived in state-funded Philippine High School for the Arts. Survivors from Bacoor National High School (BNHS) also came forward on social media. (READ: ‘He called us baby, and made us watch gay porn videos’)
Why do sexual harassment reports continue to come up on social media? Are Philippine schools safe for students returning to face-to-face classes?
In this Rappler Talk episode, Rappler researcher-writer Michelle Abad sits down with Sophia Beatriz Reyes, lead convenor of Enough is Enough, BNHS sexual abuse survivor Robert*, and lawyer Francis Mangrobang of nongovernmental organization Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) on how to move forward in truly stopping sexual abuse in schools.
Watch the episode at 2 pm on Friday, September 23. – Rappler.com
*Name has been changed for the survivor’s privacy.
How does this make you feel?
