By Billy Begas
The House of Representatives, under Speaker Faustino Dy III, is pushing to make online spaces safer for young Filipinos, especially on social media.
During the LegisHear in South Cotabato over the weekend, Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez said he and Dy have been pushing for stronger safeguards on children’s access to social media.
“Ang position ni Speaker, ang sabi ni Speaker, ‘Hindi na kailangan pang magbuwis ng isa pang buhay ng isang kabataan’. So that is the line na natatak sa isip ko when we were talking about this,” Hernandez said.
“Kahit anong mangyari, ang sabi ni Speaker, ‘Hindi na kailangan magbuwis pa ng isa pang buhay ng isang bata.’ So kailangan na natin talagang pag-aralan ito,” he added.
The House Committee on Welfare of Children recently approved the proposed Children’s Social Media and Online Gaming Safety Bill, which prohibits children below 13 years old from accessing social media platforms, while those aged 13 to 17 would be barred from using potentially harmful or addictive features, including short-form videos and group chats.
Dy, Hernandez, and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos are among the authors of the bill, which was included in the priority list of the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, who chaired the technical working group, said the proposed safeguards recognize the different risks faced by children of different ages while seeking to provide stronger protection from potentially harmful online experiences.
The measure would also require all social media and online gaming platforms accessible in the Philippines to register in the country, ensuring that they fall under Philippine jurisdiction and can be held accountable for complying with child-safety regulations.
Hernandez noted that lawmakers have been studying approaches adopted by other countries to determine the best way to regulate children’s online access according to age.
South Cotabato was the fourth stop of LegisHear following earlier consultations in Isabela, Butuan City, and Dumaguete City.
