Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

H.B. No.6477

Introduced by: “Kuya” Jose Antonio R. Sy-Alvarado

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Social Journalism is very vital nowadays, as the advent of the new millennium
ushered us into the information age. Social media have changed the face of
journalism as almost everyone is reporting and posting their opinion on the
Internet. And one of the demands of the new era is that more accurate news be
relayed to our people that will lead them to a more informed and intelligent
decisions. But the advantages of information age also created conflicts in the
society as many people are victimized by cyber crimes and bullying. As a nation,
‘we cannot go on leaving by mere watching and accepting the bad side of the
situations in the misconception of the freedom of expression and also the
proliferation of “Fake News”. It's our obligation to guide the nation and bring order
to the society. It's a fact that the freedom of expression is not absolute and
making the netizens accountable by just imposing penalties is not the only
‘solution, because the culprit is the lack of knowledge of what is the real essence
of social journalism that's why it's a must to train them professionally and
ethically.

As the Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution provides that “no law shall be passed
abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of
grievances.”

But this time, the congress must provide a law to guide and train the citizens in
order to cope up in the demand of the cyberspace age. The freedom of
expression is very clear in the constitution that gave a vital role in our democracy;
but the abuse and misuse of performing such right is now happening where the


so called “Netizens” are exercising their freedom to express in the various
internet sites without the idea of the real essence of “Freedom of Expression”.

September 12, 2012, the Congress passed into law the Republic Act No. 10175
or an act defining cybercrime, providing for the prevention, investigation,
suppression and the imposition of penalties therefor and for other purposes. It is
clear in the law that the State recognizes the vital role of information and
communications industries such as content production, telecommunications,
broadcasting electronic commerce, and data processing, in the nation’s overall
social and economic development. The State also recognizes the importance of
providing an environment conducive to the development, acceleration, and
rational application and exploitation of information and communications
technology (ICT) to attain free, easy, and intelligible access to exchange and/or
delivery of information; and the need to protect and safeguard the integrity of
computer, computer and communications systems, networks, and databases,
and the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and data stored
therein, from all forms of misuse, abuse, and illegal access by making punishable
under the law such conduct or conducts. In this light, the State shall adopt
‘sufficient powers to effectively prevent and combat such offenses by facilitating
their detection, investigation, and prosecution at both the domestic and
international levels, and by providing arrangements for fast and reliable
international cooperation. (Anti-Cybercrime Law Republic Act No. 10175)

The law completely addresses crimes committed by means of Cyberspace and
computer systems. The law focuses on the pre-emption, prevention and
prosecution of cybercrimes but there is no existing program from the government
to educate the public on the real essence and manner of the usage of
cyberspace and citizens journalism,

From January to December of 2014, the Philippine National Police — Anti-
Cybercrime Group (ACG) recorded six hundred fourteen (614) cybercrime
incidents, compared to 2013 where there were only two-hundred and eighty
eight (288) incidents.

And based on one of the internet surveys about the cyber crime and cyber
bullying, on the last quarter of 2012 to get check the situation of cyber crime and
bullying in the Philippines, the study shows that an age group of those who said
they are bullied are from minor ages to teenagers. And female has the highest
percentage than of a male. The victims were being attack on reputation, attack
on appearance and attack against the victim's opinion.


The nature of attack is also by spreading photo shopped images, spreading
videos that are supposedly private and there are poser (or fake / troll accounts)
that are spreading lies. These fake / troll accounts cannot be held liable as their
identities are not true.

The common platform used are Facebook, Cellphone (distant second) and Blogs
{also an internet platform). 79% were bullied byone person and 21% were
bullied by a group. (http://asksonnie.info/cyberbullying-statistics/)

The study shows that social media as the most popular social networking not
only in the Philippines but all over the world, a person's reputation can be ruined
by a distant second and internet is now the primary platform of bullying and cyber
crime. A wrong practice of “Free Speech” is a violation of human rights and we
must build a nation that has democratic maturity,

Based on the record of Department of Education, there are around 1.3 million
students entered the senior high school for the school year 2016 to 2017 under
K-12 program. It is high time to introduce the senior high school students the
Basic Journalism Course and teach them the responsibility as the nations guard
and use their right and journalism ability ethically as responsible citizens or
netizens.

Since, it's the duty of the State to protect the interest of the people, the solution is
to educate our youth for responsible social journalism and preserve their right to
express and guide them as the future leader of our society. To hold them with a
criminal liability is not always the solution, but to train our youth for their
responsibility as citizen's journalists in the new information age that requires
training and education for its positive outcome.

The immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought to mobilize and guide the
youth as the future leaders and tool to preserve our democracy having a secure,
safe, constructive and productive social journalism.

“Kuya” Jose Antonio R. Sy-Alvarado


Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

6477

H.B. No.

Introduced by: "Kuya” Jose Antonio R. Sy-Alvarado

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING BASIC JOURNALISM COURSE AS MANDATORY
SUBJECT IN THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, TO STRENGTHEN THE
JOURNALISM SKILLS OF THE YOUTH AS A BASIC TOOL TO PRESERVE
OUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AS PART OF DEMOCRACY, AND
PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE AND ETHICAL SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE
BETTERMENT OF OUR COUNTRY, UNDER TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title.- This Act shall be known as the “BASIC JOURNALISM
Act of 2017.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — \t is the policy of the State to protect the
interest of the youth as our future leader. The State also recognizes the
importance of freedom of information and freedom of expression as a tool to our
democracy therefore guiding our youth to express freely and responsibly and
protecting them from exploitation of information, abuse and misuse of the social
media sites. In this light, the State shall provide an education for the youth to
guide them and promote responsible social journalism and practice the freedom
of expression ethically and responsibly.

SEC, 3. - Free Educational Service; Education is a right not a privilege, it shall
be free of charge for our youth. Immediately upon passage of this Act, a fund will
be provided for the senior high school students to study Basic Journalism Course
in TESDA or Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.


SEC.4.- Accelerated Program for the Basic Journalism Course - The
TESDA shall provide a technical basic journalism program based on the
professional standards without a conflict with the existing journalism courses
offered by the different colleges that is being monitored by the Commission on
Higher education. The senior high school students will have the basic journalism
course as a basic tool of education now that we are on the information age.

The mandatory course will provide the students their knowledge for:

(a) Prevention of Cyber crime law;

(b) Ethical and professional social journalism;

(c) Anti-cyber bullying awareness

(d) Promote self-social media regulation

(e) Posting of credible information to help and build a credible nation
(f) Anti-Fake News

SEC.5. -—Research and Development.- Communication Research and
Development shall be pursued and priority shall be given to the development of
effective, appropriate and efficient communication technologies thru responsible
journalism

The TESDA, shall continue in developing the teaching professional standard and
training journalism programs as it varies on the demand of this education in the
information age.

SEC. 6. - Manpower Complement - The TESDA shall strengthen its capability in
providing technical assistance to the Private Sector were practitioners and
experts and maintain communication and journalism research and development.
TESDA will provide directions, policies, programs and standards towards quality
technical education and skills development for the Basic Journalism Course.

SEC. 7. - Monitoring and Evaluation. - The TESDA shall monitor the
implementation of Basic Journalism as a technical course. The TESDA shall
review all existing program and technical providers after the completion of the
course to determine their effectiveness. The TESDA shall employ the services of
independent evaluators to assess the over-all impact of the Basic Journalism
Course.


SEC. 8. - Report to Congress — The TESDA shall submit a detailed status
report of its programs and accomplishments every year without prejudice to its
mandate.

SEC. 9 - Appropriations. -Such sums as may be necessary for the
implementation of this Act shall be taken from any available appropriations of the
TESDA under the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, the succeeding
appropriations for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 10. - Implementing Rules and Regulations -The TESDA, DEPED,
expert course providers and other stakeholders shall formulate the Rules and
Regulations within Ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 11. - Seperability Clause - In any part or provision of this Act is held
unconstitutional, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby
shall be in full force and effect.

SEC.12. - Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.