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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
First Regular Session 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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S E N A T E  
Introduced by Senator Manuel “Lito” M. Lapid 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The rapid growth and advancement of Information and Communications 
Technology provides an easy access to the information highway in any part of 
the world, and this has been made possible through the use of the internet. 
Internet users today have been estimated to reach over 1 .I billion in the world 
and over 7.9 million in the Philippines by March of 2007. Majority of these 
Filipino internet population or at least 70% are young people. Having an access 
to the internet has indeed played a significant role in supplementing the 
traditional educational tools used by students in the past decades. 
The comprehensive information in which the internet is capable of 
providing can likewise make available materials that can exploit young users. 
The proliferation of smut and other violent materials has been an issue since the 
birth of the internet. Worse, as the technology traverses into higher level of 
speed, internet is now being used as a medium for promoting on-line prostitution 
commonly known as “Cybersex”. Limiting or blocking the access to these sites in 
every household and entities in the country is a very complex and difficult feat. 
However, it would be a big step for the government if it can at least 
regulate this immoral practice at the institutional level. Blocking access to 
inappropriate web sites in all internet cafes as well as educational institutions 
with internet access in the country could bring down the level of this indecent 
trend. 
The measure at hand seeks to protect the vulnerable young people of our 
society from being exploited. 
The approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
MANUEL “LITO” M. LAPID 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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S E N A T E  
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S.B. No. 
56 
Introduced by Senator Manuel “Lito” M. Lapid 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING INTERNET CAFES AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS WITH 
INTERNET ACCESS TO INSTALL A SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY FOR 
BLOCKING INTERNET WEBSITES DISPLAYING OBSCENE AND VIOLENT 
MATERIALS PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFORE AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the “Internet Protection Act 
of 2007 ”. 
SEC. 
2. Coverage. 
All public internet cafes and educational 
institutions with access to the Internet shall be covered by this Act. 
SEC. 
3. Declaration of State Policies. The state recognizes the vital 
role of the youth in nation building and shall promote and protect the physical, 
moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. 
SEC. 
4. 
terms shall mean: 
Definition of Terms. Whenever used in this Act, the following 
a. Internet - 
shall refer to as the vehicle to the information 
highway which can be accessed through the use of a 
computer and other peripheral 
when connected by an 
internet service provider. 
b. Web site IIP Address- shall refer to any home page or Universal 
Record Locator (URL) of any entity which post text information, 
pictures, movie clips, sound or any other materials that can be 
seen or accessed over the internet. 


c. Blocking Software Technology - shall refer to a computer 
software commercially available used for blocking or filtering 
web sites displaying obscene and violent pictures, video 
streaming, video clips, sound, or any other form of literary 
documentation. 
d. Educational Institutions - shall refer to primary, secondary and 
tertiary public and private schools in the country. 
e. Task Force - as used in this act, shall refer to the Internet 
Protection Task Force 
f. Obscene and Violent Internet Materials - as used in this act 
shall refer to any inappropriate internet materials containing 
but not limited to pornographic, indecent, immoral, violent, 
and other categories as may be classified by the blocking 
software technology; that comes in the format of live video 
streaming, video clips, pictures, sound files and literary 
documentations which can be accessed from any web sites. 
SEC. 5. Installation of a Blocking Software Technology in Internet Cafes 
and Educational Institutions - Any provision of law to the contrary 
notwithstanding, all internet cafes, computer laboratories and libraries in all 
educational institutions are required to install a blocking software technology, to 
be updated regularly as necessary, in their computer systems that have access 
to the internet. Provided however, that the blocking software technology to be 
installed shall first secure a certificate of approval from the National Computer 
Center (NCC). 
Provided further, that in case of internet cafes, the required certificate of 
approval from the NCC shall be a condition precedent for securing the necessary 
business permits, licenses or registration from the Department of Trade and 
Industry, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Local 
Government Units concerned. 


SEC. 6. Minimum Requirements for a Blocking Software Technology - 
Any computer software shall be used for blocking internet web sites containing 
obscene and violent materials if it satisfies the following minimum criteria: 
Should be able to block websites containing pornographic, obscene 
and violent materials using contemporary Filipino cultural values as 
standard; 
should be capable of blocking search requests from search engines 
containing words and phrases leading to web sites containing the 
aforementioned materials: 
should support major internet standards that rate web sites such as 
but not limited to the following content coding mechanisms: 
Safesurf, RSAC, IVSR, VSR and KidCode; 
should be capable of updating its database list of web sites 
containing obscene and adult materials; 
should be highly protected from end-user tampering; and 
should be software upgradeable; 
7. 
Internet Protection Task Force- There shall be created an 
Internet Protection Task Force to be composed of 2 members each from the 
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the National Computer 
Center (NCC) to enforce the provisions of this Act. The chairman of the NTC or 
his duly authorized representative shall be the head of the Task Force which 
shall, within 15 days from its effectivity, promulgate the necessary implementing 
rules and regulations. 
SEC. 8. Powers and functions of the Task Force - The powers and 
functions of the task force for purposes of Sections 5 and 6 hereof shall include 
the following: 
a. To formulate rules and guidelines to implement the law; 
b. To ensure the proper enforcement and compliance of the law by 
conducting a quarterly on-site ocular inspection on ail internet cafes 
and educational institutions with internet access; 
c. To screen and accredit the type of blocking software technology to 
be used by educational institutions as provided in Sec. 6 hereof, 
to be made on a quarterly basis; 


d. To recommend disciplinary actions against concerned operators or 
officials of internet cafes and educational institutions violating the 
provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 9. Penalty Clause- OperatorslOwners of internet cafes and heads of 
educational institutions or the responsible corporate officers in case of juridical 
entities who fail to comply with the provisions of this Act shall be charged 
administratively and shall pay a penalty of not more than P100,OOO for the first 
offense, at the discretion of the National Telecommunications Commission, 
another P I  00,000 for every succeeding offense andlor cancellation of its license 
to operate. 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules 
and regulations, and other issuance inconsistent with the provisions of this act 
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 11. Separability clause. If for any reason, any provision of this Act 
is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act shall not be 
affected. 
SEC. 12. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect immediately upon 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,