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info@catholic-safeguarding.net

+632 8997 0812

Safe Space,


Strong Community

We create a culture of relational safety among persons and institutions of the Catholic Church in Asia and the Pacific Nations.

Who We Are:

BUILDING A

CULTURE OF SAFETY

The Catholic Safeguarding Institute (CSI) is a non-stock, non-profit organisation that works to cultivate a culture of safety within the Catholic Church in Asia and the Pacific. Through leadership training, consultation, and research, CSI integrates safeguarding principles into the daily lives of Catholics, guided by survivor stories and Gospel values.

 

Proverbs 31:8 calls us to ‘speak out on the behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable’. CSI seeks to empower those who have been left voiceless by encouraging a world that listens and acts.

Who We Are

BUILDING A

CULTURE OF SAFETY

The Catholic Safeguarding Institute (CSI) is a non-stock, non-profit organisation that works to cultivate a culture of safety within the Catholic Church in Asia and the Pacific. Through leadership training, consultation, and research, CSI integrates safeguarding principles into the daily lives of Catholics, guided by survivor stories and Gospel values.

Proverbs 31:8 calls us to ‘speak out on the behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable’. CSI seeks to empower those who have been left voiceless by encouraging a world that listens and acts.

what we do

Raising awareness, fostering appreciation,
and facilitating safeguarding growth.

what we do:

Raising awareness, fostering appreciation,
and facilitating safeguarding growth.

CSI collaborates with the existing church structures by supporting and complementing ongoing efforts of the local churches.

The mission of the institute is to become a center of excellence in matters of safeguarding formation and development, in the periphery of the Catholic Church, as inspired by the Holy Father.

Our Partners:

At CSI we believe in creating a future where every child and vulnerable person’s voice can be heard and acted upon.

Help us make this a reality and join us on our mission to create an environment and culture of safeguarding.

Our story begins in 2017 with three peopleText Here

Dr. Gabriel S. Dy-Liacco, Msgr. Ramon M. Masculino and Dr. Maria Carmen Bontoc-La Viña. Dr Gabriel, inspired by his involvement as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, initiated safeguarding workshops and formation in collaboration with the Emmaus Institute to partner dioceses within the Philippines with the help of Msgr. Ramon and Dr. Carmen. The mission was not purely to educate others on safeguarding but to ignite a conversion within hearts.

 

By December 2020, the Catholic Safeguarding Institute, Inc (CSI) was formally established and registered as a non-stock, non-profit corporation in the Philippines with a mission and calling.

Our History and Growth

Our story begins in 2017, working in partnership with the Emmaus Institute. The team of three were initially called to create and develop modules and workshops to help instruct the Church and clergy on safeguarding matters, as instructed by the Pope.

When developing modules, they identified that providing tools, resources, and knowledge alone was not enough to call people to the mission of safeguarding. That a deeper conversion was necessary to evoke the desire and motivation needed to create a conscious cultural shift within the safeguarding landscape in the Philippines and Asia Pacific.

This influenced and led to the creation and development of the BOWS programme, which was first trialled in December 2017.  The programme sought to not only educate participants, but also prompt more internal spiritual reflection and lead participants to consider what God is calling each of them to do personally in the mission of safeguarding. To help achieve this, BOWS adopts an experiential learning approach using direct experience, focused reflection, familiar language, and expressive arts to help spiritually guide participants during the workshops. The 2017 trial workshop was well received and sparked further interest as CSI received their first client. In May 2018, CSI delivered their first official BOWS sessions in Mindanao and have since continued to deliver this programme across the Philippines and Asia Pacific.

As CSI continued to grow and its purpose became clearer and more refined, they parted ways with the Emmaus Institute and became an incorporation in December 2020. Today, the CSI team operates in three locations, Rome, Manila, and Iloilo and manages offices in Manila and Iloilo. Since the first BOWS in 2017, they have delivered the program to almost 2,000 participants, they have developed partnerships with 8 organisations and congregations and expanded their clientele, offering workshops to lay people and teachers as well as clergy. From three individuals with a calling, CSI has grown into a wider team and community with an international support and network. What was once a vision is slowly becoming a reality through the dedication, faith, and prayers of CSI community. CSI continues to grow and evolve to meet the ever-changing climate and needs of safeguarding, as we all undergo a continuous, profound conversion to bring about a world and society that upholds Gospel values.

Vision

Our vision is to help foster a world in which minors and vulnerable adults can live in a culture of relational safety and in communities of care.

Mission

The mission of CSI is to become a center of excellence in matters of safeguarding formation and development, in the periphery of the Catholic Church, as inspired by the Holy Father.

Educate

others on matters of safeguarding.

Equip

them with tools and knowledge to become safeguarding leaders in their schools, parishes, homes, and communities so that they may respond to victims.

To build and encourage

a culture of safeguarding within our society where everyone feels safe, people’s voices are heard, and victims are empowered.

We'd love to hear

from you!

Lets Talk!

Headoffice

Quezon City, Philippines

Offices:

Manila Head Office

3F CLC Center, Seminary Drive, Ateneo de
Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines

Iloilo Head Office

2F Sta. Maria Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, 138
Gen Blanco Street, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Philippines

Rome Head Office

Remote 

FAQs

Safeguarding is ensuring that everyone feels safe, free from abuse and neglect. It includes the policies and practices that institutions employ to keep children safe and promote their well-being. Safeguarding is both about creating an environment and culture of safety through how we treat each other as well as responding appropriately and taking the right measures against abuse.

A minor is a person under the age of 18, and a vulnerable adult is a person aged 18 or over at risk of abuse due to their physical or mental needs which limit their ability to resist the offence.

Everyone. Whether you are a parent, teacher, priest, catechist, parishioner, neighbour we all have a responsibility and duty of care towards minors and vulnerable adults.

In 2014 Pope Francis established the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors with the aim “to promote the protection of the dignity of minors and vulnerable adults, using the forms and methods, consonant with the nature of the Church, which they consider most appropriate, as well as through their cooperation with individuals and groups pursuing these same objectives.”
The Pontifical Commission leads the Church worldwide in its mission of safeguarding and its recent Memorare initiative launched in 2023, is helping to develop strong abuse prevention policies.

The Pope calls us to ‘Protect, listen, and heal’ victims of abuse (Nov 2023, Pope Francis to Safeguarding Leads). The CSI follows this direction and seeks to create a safer environment, building a culture of relational safety in the Church and the society under the guidance of the Holy See.

You can learn more about safeguarding in our digital library.

Our Formation and Training workshops also provide more education and formation about how to implement safeguarding in your community.

If you are interested in a more technical, academic based formation, we also offer the Diploma program in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults.

Academic Formation

 

The Education and Formation of CSI responds to the urgent needs of individuals, groups, communities, and organizations in appreciating the safeguarding issues and recognizing areas for growth and timely response.

Education and Formation has a two-pronged approach, the Academic Formation Program (credited courses from the Loyola School of Theology, a Pontifical School) and the Non-Academic Formation Program (for short-term and competency-focused learning).

 

DEGREE PROGRAM

 

Diploma in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

The Diploma course is a 17-week intensive program for those who share in the mission of promoting a culture of safety in our communities, ministries, and apostolic missions, as a Church and society.  The Diploma program is an authorized local implementation of the Pontifical Gregorian University’s Diploma in Safeguarding.

This is open to all individuals who wish to understand the mission in safeguarding, equip themselves with theoretical knowledge and technical skills, and develop their ability to meaningfully respond to safeguarding concerns.

Formation and Training: 

 

1A. A 5- to 8-day (in person) or 10-day online workshop orienting participants on the issue of sexual abuse of vulnerable persons and safeguarding as a response.

This is open for seminarians, clergy, brothers, laity, school administrators and personnel, parish collaborators.

The workshop may be conducted with participants exclusively from the congregation, diocese, and / or institute.

A 2- to 3-day workshop focusing on the person and duty of the safe guarder through an intimate exploration of the problem of abuse of vulnerable persons and of the essentials in preparing the self for the mission.

The workshop may be conducted with participants exclusively from the congregation, diocese, and / or institute.

Short courses that help sectors such as schools, families, youth, social apostolates, and development groups, integrate and institutionalize safeguarding in their programs and structures.

This course may be tailored depending on the needs of the participants. The workshop may be conducted with participants exclusively from the congregation, diocese, and / or institute.

Short workshops that dig deep into cross-cutting topics that underlie or impact the abuse issue and thoughtfully inform the development of safeguarding programs and structures.  Topics include sexuality and identity, power relations, media, the law, and others.

This course may be tailored depending on the needs of the participants. The workshop may be conducted with participants exclusively from the congregation, diocese, and / or institute.

 

Formation and Training can be organised and scheduled upon request. Please get in touch with the CSI office if you have more inquiries.

Consultancy & Accompaniment

 

Our Consultancy and Accompaniment provides specialized CSI services aimed at assisting individuals, groups, and organizations with their unique safeguarding requirements. 

 

This includes:

Policies and Guidelines Review or Development:

Zoom or in-person accompaniment. This could be a review of existing policies and guidelines considering updates from the Holy See. Or this could be a workshop on drafting safeguarding polices and guidelines.

Live Cases Accompaniment

Zoom or in-person accompaniment, including assisting the group in the completion and closure of the investigation process.

Safeguarding Research & Reflection

Safeguarding Research is an essential part of the prevention of abuse and protection of minors and vulnerable adults. By contributing to the scientific field of studies, it enables learning, growth, and the development of effective responses to abuse cases.

 

We believe that education, is a key factor to equipping ourselves with the foundations and knowledge to be safe guarders within our homes, communities, and workplaces. Click here to see our library of resources, published research, and key Church documentation to learn more.

Ecclesial Network Building

CSI collaborates with the existing church structures by supporting and complementing ongoing efforts of the local churches.

Community of Practice

The Community of Practice is a strategic initiative aimed at creating a network of practitioners who can effectively address the safeguarding needs in the Asia Pacific region.

CSI found its purpose in Pope Francis’s call to the women and men of good will to take up this mission of safeguarding. Witnessing the abuse of human rights and the injustices imposed upon children and vulnerable adults, CSI was born. Their stories are why CSI exists and continues to drive and inspire our work to this day.

Pope Francis spoke of finding the voice of the Holy Spirit in the voices of victims and survivors. By listening to their stories, the Holy Spirit guides us in our service, and the direction of CSI. It ensures that we remain close to Christ in our work whilst moving forwards towards a future of faith and hope and nowhere else. The victim first principle is where CSI draws its vision, mission, and strategies.

CSI wants to promote cultural building of relational safety. The transformation that CSI seeks to bring about is the creation of a safe space for the people of God. A world in which we can receive children just as Christ did –‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’ (Mk 9:37).

This influenced and led to the creation and development of the BOWS programme, which was first trialled in December 2017.  The programme sought to not only educate participants, but also prompt more internal spiritual reflection and lead participants to consider what God is calling each of them to do personally in the mission of safeguarding. To help achieve this, BOWS adopts an experiential learning approach using direct experience, focused reflection, familiar language, and expressive arts to help spiritually guide participants during the workshops. The 2017 trial workshop was well received and sparked further interest as CSI received their first client. In May 2018, CSI delivered their first official BOWS sessions in Mindanao and have since continued to deliver this programme across the Philippines and Asia Pacific.

As CSI continued to grow and its purpose became clearer and more refined, they parted ways with the Emmaus Institute and became an incorporation in December 2020.

Today the CSI team operates in three locations, Rome, Manila, and Iloilo and manages offices in Manila and Iloilo. Since the first BOWS in 2017, they have delivered the program to almost 2,000 participants, they have developed partnerships with 8 organisations and congregations and expanded their clientele, offering workshops to lay people and teachers as well as clergy.

From three individuals with a calling, CSI has grown into a wider team and community with an international support and network. What was once a vision is slowly becoming a reality through the dedication, faith, and prayers of CSI community. CSI continues to grow and evolve to meet the ever-changing climate and needs of safeguarding, as we all undergo a continuous, profound conversion to bring about a world and society that upholds Gospel values.

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