Manila: As the House of Representatives Committee on the Welfare of Children convenes a Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting on Thursday to tackle proposals on child online safety and the regulation of social media use among minors, Speaker Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III pushed to make digital literacy a mandatory part of basic education, saying education must go hand in hand with regulation in protecting Filipino children online.
According to Philippines News Agency, the TWG, chaired by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, will continue deliberations on comments and proposed revisions to various measures on child online safety and protection in the digital environment, with lawmakers seeking to reconcile differing approaches to regulating minors' access to social media. The measures under consideration propose varying age-based restrictions. While some bills seek to prohibit social media access for children below 13 years old, others propose restrictions covering minors below 18 years of age.
Among the measures before the TWG is House Bill (HB) 9965, authored by Dy together with Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander 'Sandro' Marcos, which adopts a graduated approach by prohibiting social media accounts for children below 13 while allowing those aged 13 to below 18 to access platforms only with verifiable parental consent and continuing parental supervision. Beyond regulating access, Dy said the measure recognizes that the most effective protection for children is to equip them with the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital world responsibly.
Dy emphasized the need for digital literacy, stating, 'Hindi po natin puwedeng i-asa sa pagbabawal lamang ang kaligtasan ng ating mga anak (We cannot just entrust the safety of our children on prohibition). If we teach our children how to read and write, in the Age of Social Media, we must also equip them with the knowledge to recognize lies and misinformation on the Internet.'
Under HB 9965, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd), would integrate a 'Digital Literacy and Ethical Use of Social Media' module into the K to 12 curricula. The program would teach students how to critically evaluate online information, understand how algorithms influence the content they consume, recognize and report cyberbullying, online exploitation, and harmful content, promote responsible digital citizenship, and develop healthy screen-time habits.
Dy further explained, 'Ang pinakamalaking panganib ay hindi lamang kung ano ang nakikita ng ating mga kabataan sa social media, kundi kung ano ang paulit-ulit na pinipiling ipakita sa kanila ng mga algorithm. Kaya dapat natin silang bigyan ng kaalaman at kakayahang maging mapanuri, mag-isip nang mabuti, at maunawaan kung paano naaapektuhan ng bawat scroll ang kanilang pananaw sa mundo (The greatest threat is not only what the youth sees on social media, but what is repeatedly chosen to be shown to them by the algorithms. That's why we need to provide them with the knowledge and ability to be critical, think carefully, and understand how each scroll affects their world perspective).'
The measure likewise requires the DICT to conduct periodic training for teachers and hold awareness seminars for parents and children below 18 years old to ensure that digital safety is reinforced not only in classrooms but also at home. Dy clarified, 'Ang layunin ng panukalang ito ay hindi ang ilayo ang mga bata sa teknolohiya. Ang hangarin po natin ay tiyaking hindi sila magiging biktima nito (The objective of this proposal is not to distance the children from technology. Our aim is to ensure that they would never become victims of it).'
HB 9965 is part of the House leadership's efforts to establish a comprehensive framework for children's online safety by combining age-appropriate regulation, stronger platform accountability, parental involvement, and digital education.
