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Advocates Philippines
Speaker Dy Pushes Mandatory Digital Literacy In Schools To Better Protect Children Online
Photo credit: Faustino "Bojie" Dy III
Speaker of the House Faustino Dy III is advocating for the inclusion of digital literacy as a mandatory subject in basic education, saying teaching children how to safely navigate the online world is just as important as regulating their access to social media.
Dy's proposal comes as the House Committee on the Welfare of Children, through its Technical Working Group (TWG), continues discussions on several measures aimed at strengthening child online safety and regulating social media use among minors.
Chaired by Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, the TWG is reviewing various proposals that differ on the age at which children should be allowed to access social media platforms.
Among the measures being discussed is House Bill No. 9965, authored by Dy and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos. The bill would prohibit children below 13 years old from having social media accounts, while allowing minors aged 13 to below 18 to use these platforms only with verifiable parental consent and continued parental supervision.
But for Dy, restricting access alone is not enough.
He said children must also be equipped with the skills to identify misinformation, think critically, and use digital platforms responsibly.
Under the proposed measure, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), would introduce a Digital Literacy and Ethical Use of Social Media module into the K to 12 curriculum.
The program would teach students how to verify online information, understand how social media algorithms shape the content they see, recognize cyberbullying and online exploitation, practice responsible digital citizenship, and develop healthier screen-time habits.
Dy also warned that one of the biggest dangers children face online is not only harmful content itself but the way algorithms repeatedly expose them to certain information that can influence how they think and view the world.
To strengthen online safety beyond the classroom, the bill also requires the DICT to conduct regular training for teachers and awareness seminars for parents and children, emphasizing that protecting young internet users should be a shared responsibility of families, schools, and government.
According to the Speaker, the goal is not to keep children away from technology but to ensure they are prepared to use it safely and responsibly.
House Bill No. 9965 forms part of the House leadership's broader push to create a comprehensive framework for child online protection by combining age-based regulation, stronger accountability for digital platforms, parental involvement, and digital education.
Dy's proposal comes as the House Committee on the Welfare of Children, through its Technical Working Group (TWG), continues discussions on several measures aimed at strengthening child online safety and regulating social media use among minors.
Chaired by Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, the TWG is reviewing various proposals that differ on the age at which children should be allowed to access social media platforms.
Among the measures being discussed is House Bill No. 9965, authored by Dy and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos. The bill would prohibit children below 13 years old from having social media accounts, while allowing minors aged 13 to below 18 to use these platforms only with verifiable parental consent and continued parental supervision.
But for Dy, restricting access alone is not enough.
He said children must also be equipped with the skills to identify misinformation, think critically, and use digital platforms responsibly.
Under the proposed measure, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), would introduce a Digital Literacy and Ethical Use of Social Media module into the K to 12 curriculum.
The program would teach students how to verify online information, understand how social media algorithms shape the content they see, recognize cyberbullying and online exploitation, practice responsible digital citizenship, and develop healthier screen-time habits.
Dy also warned that one of the biggest dangers children face online is not only harmful content itself but the way algorithms repeatedly expose them to certain information that can influence how they think and view the world.
To strengthen online safety beyond the classroom, the bill also requires the DICT to conduct regular training for teachers and awareness seminars for parents and children, emphasizing that protecting young internet users should be a shared responsibility of families, schools, and government.
According to the Speaker, the goal is not to keep children away from technology but to ensure they are prepared to use it safely and responsibly.
House Bill No. 9965 forms part of the House leadership's broader push to create a comprehensive framework for child online protection by combining age-based regulation, stronger accountability for digital platforms, parental involvement, and digital education.
Jul 16, 2026
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