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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
) 
) 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.No. 1710 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Aliic1e 2, Section 24 states that the State recognizes the vital role of 
communication and infonnation in nation-building. As we move further into the Infonnation 
Age, more and more people are logging in to the infonnation superhighway, more commonly 
known as the Internet. In a recent survey taken by Synovate' on urban areas across the 
Philippines,' it was shown that about 36% of Filipinos from these areas have Internet access 
while 41 % have mobile phones with Internet access. 
As Internet nsage increases, the perils likewise increase. Viruses, scam sites and sites 
with undesirable contents proliferate on· a daily basis. To protect our people, our government 
must do what it can to aim our Internet users with useful infonnation to combat the dangers that 
are spread across the world wide web. 
This bill seeks to establish an office that will spearhead the infonnation campaign that 
will keep our Internet nsers abreast with the latest online technologies and arm them with the 
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knowledge against the perils of the Internet.
3 
\Market research arm of Aegis Group PIc., a marketing services firm based in London 
'Synovate's Nationwide Urban Media Atlas Survey 2007-2008 Wave 1 
3This bill was originally filed during the 14th Congress 1" Regular Session 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 1710 
1 
AN ACT 
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OFFICE {Ji' '; i 1,' ',1 C'~E !"\~V 
Hl • .JUL 21 
1110 :11' 
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TO IMPROVE PUBLIC AWARENESS REGARDING SAFE USE OF THE INTERNET 
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THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE OF INTERNET SAFETY AND 
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PUBLIC AWARENESS WITHIN THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
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COMMISSION 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of representatives of the Philippines In 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shaH be ho& as the "Safeguarding Filipinos by 
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Enhancing and Reorganizing New and Efficient Technologies Act" or the "SAFER NET Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The Constitution, Article 2, Section 24 states that 
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the State recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation-building. The 
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Slate shal1 promote the safe and effective ways of using the internet as we head further into the 
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information age. 
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SECTION 3. Definition o/Terms. -For purposes ofthis Act, the term: 
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(A) "Commission" means the National Telecommunications Commission; 
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(B) "Internet" means col1ectively the myriad of computer and telecommunications 
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facilities, 
including 
equipment and 
operating 
software, 
which comprise the 
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interconnected world-wide network of networks that employ the Transmission Control 
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Protocol/Internet Protocol, or any predecessor or successor protocols to such protocol, to 
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communicate information of al1 kinds by wire or radio; 
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(C) "Office" means the Office of Internet Safety and Public Awareness of the National 
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Telecommunications Commission, established by section 3. 
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SECTION 4. Establishment of the Office. - The National Telecommunications 
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Commission shall establish an Office ofInternet Safety and Public Awareness, which shall have 
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responsibility for programs and activities relating to increasing public awareness and providing 
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education regarding Internet safety. 
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SECTION 5. Director. - The Office shall be headed by a Director who shall be appointed 
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by the Commission. 
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SECTION 6. Internet Safety. - For purposes of this Act, the issue of Internet safety 
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includes issues regarding use of (he Internet in a manner that promotes safe online activity, 
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including safe transactions involved in online commerce, and protects against threats (0 financial 
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infol1nation and privacy, threats from cyber-crime, and threats to juveniles, including 
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cyberpredators and material that is inappropriate for minors. 
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SECTION 7. Duties. -
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(A) Activities- The Commission, acting through the Office, shall carry out a nationwide 
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program to increase public awareness and education regarding Internet safety, for families, 
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businesses, organizations, and other us~rs, that utilizes existing resources and efforts of the 
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national and local governments, nonprofit organizations, private technology and financial 
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companies, Internet service providers, World Wide Web-based resources, and other appropriate 
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entities, that includes-
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(I) evaluating Internet safety efforts and activities provided at various levels of 
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government and by other'entities; 
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(2) improving efficiency of Internet safety efforts and activities, by eliminating 
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redundancy of efforts at various levels of government and other entities, 
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identifying, promoting, and expanding effective such efforts and activities and 
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coordinating among such efforts and activities; 
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(3) identifying, promoting, and encouraging best practices for Internet safety; 
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(4) establishing and carrying out a national outreach and education campaign 
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regarding Internet safety utilizing various media and Internet-based resources; 
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(5) serving as the primary contact in the national government, and as a national 
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clearinghouse, for information and public awareness efforts regarding Internet 
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safety; 
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(6) facilitating access to, and the exchange of, infonnation regarding Internet 
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safety to promote up-to-date knowledge regarding current issues; 
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(7) providing expert advice and consultation to the Commission regarding Internet 
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safety issues; and 
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(8) providing assistance, including technical assistance and financial assistance 
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under subsection (B), units of local government, schools, police departments, 
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nonprofit organizations,' and such other entities as the Office considers 
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appropriate to promote Internet safety education and public awareness. 
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(B) Grants and Contracts-
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(1) In carrying out this subsection, the Commission, acting through the Office, 
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may make grants, to the extent amounts are provided in advance in appropriation 
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Acts for such grants, to, and enter into cooperative agreements, contracts, and 
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interagency agreements with units of local government, schools, police 
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departments, non-profit organizations, and such other public and private agencies, 
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entities, and organizations as the Office considers appropriate. 
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(2) The Commission, acting through the Office, shall provide for evaluations of 
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projects and activities carried out with financial assistance provided under 
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paragraph (1) of this subsection and for the dissemination of information 
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developed as a result of such projects. 
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SECTION 8. Annual Reports. -The Commission, acting through the Office, shall submit 
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a report not later than March 31 of each year that-
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(A) describes the activities of the Office during the preceding calendar year; 
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(B) contains any evaluations perfonned pursuant to Section (7)(B)(2) for any proj ects and 
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activities carried out during the preceding calendar with assistance 28 under Section 
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(7)(B)(l); 
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(C) describes and analyzes the, current state, as of the preparation of such report, of 
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Internet safety, existing and emerging threats to Internet safety, and costs to the 
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Philippine economy resulting from preventing, responding to, eliminating, and otherwise 
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dealing with threats to Intemet safety. 
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SECTION 9. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
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hereby necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
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SECTION 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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