MANILA, Philippines—From a haven of pedophiles to a safe haven for children.

This is how officials and advocates envision the country to be with the enactment of the Anti Child Pornography law.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed Republic Act 9775 late Tuesday.

“We used to be a haven for child pornography proliferators and foreign pedophiles, now our country is going to be a safe haven for children,” said Tarlac Representative Monica Teodoro, one of the main authors of the measure.

The law defines child pornography as “any representation, be in visual, audio or written, combination thereof, by electronic, mechanical, digital, optical, magnetic or other means, of a child engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities.”

Any person who produces, distributes, publishes and commits other related acts would also be subject to penalties. Violators may include internet service providers and internet content hosts.

Under the law, the child victim of these acts is recognized as victim of violent crime and may claim compensation and protection. It also provides mandatory services for victims such as emery shelter, counseling, free legal, medical and psychological services and educational assistance.

Perpetrators may be penalized with fines ranging from P50,000 to P5 million and reclusion perpetua as the highest penalty.

In the country, children as young as seven years old have fallen victims to child pornography by being commissioned to perform in cybersex dens, the most common online form of pornography, Teodoro said.

She hailed the timeliness of the measure’s passage, saying the country is about to commemorate the 20th year of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20.