The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday urged Filipino parents to closely supervise their children’s online activities as extremist groups prey on vulnerable youths.
“We hope you will look after your children. Just as you exercise caution when crossing the street… you should also exercise the same caution when it comes to your children’s use of social media,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in his keynote speech during the launch of Meta’s Digital Dialogue in Real Life: Safety Starts with Conversation in Filipino.
Mr. Angara said parents should especially monitor the online activities of children aged 16 and below.
This comes as extremist groups emerge online and prey on vulnerable youths, with some networks potentially linked to school shootings in the country in recent months.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Oct. 10 that it was investigating possible links between online grooming and three school shootings in Tacloban City in June, Zamboanga City in August, and South Cotabato in September.
Authorities are examining whether online communities influenced the attacks, including a reported connection between the South Cotabato suspect and the True Crime Community (TCC), an online subculture associated with the glorification of school shooters.
To foster a safer online community, Mr. Angara said DepEd has partnered with Filipino television host Alejandro I. Atienza, popularly known as Kuya Kim, to promote kindness, respect and anti-bullying among learners through advocacy videos aimed at fostering a safer and more inclusive school environment.
DepEd has also implemented programs such as the School Digital Safety Campaign, the Kaagapay Program for parents and caregivers, and National School Safety Week to address online grooming, bullying and campus violence.
The launch of Meta’s Digital Dialogue in Real Life: Safety Starts with Conversation also underscored the importance of open discussions about online safety. The event brought together government agencies, including DepEd and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), as well as child-focused organizations to promote digital literacy and parental guidance on keeping children safe online. — Edg Adrian A. Eva
