Mrs. Manilyn Jaapapal, Secretary of the SWALL Group from Lantawan, had this to say about the training: “The PSEAH training greatly expanded my understanding of the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harrassment (PSEAH). As a mother and community leader, I now have a deeper understanding of my responsibility to protect vulnerable groups, recognize cases of SEAH, and report incidents through the proper channels. As the secretary of the SWALL group and an active community leader, I am committed to sharing what I have learned to raise awareness, encourage proper reporting, and help build a safer community.”

The training also highlighted that preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment is a shared responsibility. Community members, local government partners, implementing partners, and project personnel each play an important role in fostering a culture of respect, ensuring that concerns can be raised safely and confidentially, and contributing to an environment where every individual is treated with dignity. 

When communities understand their rights and know that appropriate safeguards and reporting mechanisms are in place, they are better positioned to participate actively in activities that improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience. Trust is essential to meaningful participation, and when people have confidence that concerns can raised safely and addressed appropriately, they are more likely to engage actively, contributing to more inclusive, sustainable, and lasting development outcomes,” said Model Lives Project Manager, Levi De los Santos.

As the Model Lives Project continues to support sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities in Basilan, integrating PSEAH into community engagement reflects UNDP and the European Union's shared commitment to ensuring that development is not only effective, but also safe, inclusive, respectful, and centered on the dignity and rights of every person. [E]