DSWD lauds Liza Soberano for baring childhood trauma
Actress Liza Soberano’s recent tell-all interview with Australian filmmaker and photographer Sarah Babah has drawn praise from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which commended her bravery for baring her childhood trauma online.
The DSWD and its attached agency, the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), also expressed their gratitude to Soberano for coming forward and encouraging victims of abuse like her to speak up.
“Speaking up about one’s past is never easy, especially for children who have gone through painful and traumatic experiences. It’s like revisiting wounds that haven’t fully healed. That’s why we deeply respect and value those who come forward despite the difficulty,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, the DSWD spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Their stories help open important conversations so that these experiences no longer define the lives of future generations of children,” she added.
‘Painful reality’
Citing an earlier statement by the CWC, the DSWD said Soberano’s story “reflects the painful reality that many Filipino children continue to face—growing up in environments that expose them to trauma, instability, and harm from those who are meant to nurture them.”
In “Can I Come In?” podcast uploaded on Aug. 15, Soberano revealed experiencing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother’s former boyfriend and a foster parent when she was still living in the United States. The hourlong podcast, broken into three segments, also talked about Soberano’s career in Philippine show business and her onscreen and real life relationship with actor Enrique Gil. During the interview with Babah, Soberano admitted that she and Gil, whom she called by his nickname Quen, had already broken up three years ago.
On Monday, the actress turned to Instagram to thank her supporters and those who extended their kind words to her.
“To four-year-old Hope, who’s in the midst of a painful, upside down world, just trying to stay a child, thank you. I know you must be wondering why I’m sharing our story, why now, and why this?” Soberano said, referring to her real name.
“As an actress my job is to entertain. But as a public figure, my responsibility is to speak up on the things that matter, from a place that matters,” she said, as she accompanied her message with statistics on abuse and exploitation involving Filipino children, based on data provided by the US Department of State and the 2023 Global Slavery Index.
“All of me dreads sharing the most intimate parts of my soul, just for people to judge and diminish my experiences,” she said. “But if I don’t speak up out of discomfort or fear, what chance does all the scared and voiceless women and children that are still in dangerous situations have?”
“So it is a privilege and honor to be able to share my experiences so that even just one little girl out there can feel encouraged to speak up,” Soberano added.
Reminder
Apart from its call for stronger action to stop child abuse, the DSWD reminded the public that its Makabata Helpline 1383 is available 24/7 for urgent concerns related to child abuse, neglect, and discrimination.
The hotline can be reached through landline via 1383, or through mobile calls at 0919-354-1383 (Smart) and 0915-802-2375 (Globe).
Reporting can also be done through Makabata Helpline’s Facebook and Instagram pages or through the eGovPH Super App (select “child abuse”), the DSWD said.
