SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
' O R - . f ' c f . 
f.-r. i\-p
*17 
JUL 26 
P2 5 3
SENATE
S.B. No. 1519
Rtu i\ I L'
INTRODUCED BY: SENATOR EMMANUEL D. PACQUIAO
AN ACT
PROVIDING INTERNET SAFETY AND PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Art. II, Sec. 13 of the 1987 Constitution states that, “The State recognizes the vital 
role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, 
spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and 
nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.”
Through time, the Internet has become the most convenient tool in providing access to 
information. More recently, it has been used as an effective aid in the education sector. 
However, the easy access and widespread use of the Internet have produced worrisome 
implications for the vulnerable, especially the minors.
At present, there is no existing system of regulation imposed, even in schools, that can 
control the Internet activities of the students. With these existing circumstances, there is an 
urgent need to regulate the access by minors to the Internet in commercial establishments, 
school premises, and even in households. A comprehensive cybersecurity program must be in 
place to ensure that minors are not going to be exposed to detrimental materials found in the 
internet, such as, but not limited to, pornography, sex and violence.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
EMMANUEL D. PACQUIAO


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Second Regular Session
•17 
vJUL 26 
P 2  5 3
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1 5 1 9
RECtn li' li ' ___
INTRODUCED BY: SENATOR EMMANUEL D. PACQUIAO
AN ACT
PROVIDING INTERNET SAFETY AND PROTECTION FOR CHILDREN
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
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SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Child Internet Safety and Protection Act of 
2017."
SEC. 2, Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared a policy of the State to promote and protect 
the physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, psychological and social well-being of children. 
Towards this end, it shall vigorously promote the safety and protection of children in accessing 
the Internet against harmful materials, such as, but not limited to, pornography, sex and violence 
by adopting extensive public awarenesS'programs and using appropriate and effective filtering or 
firewall devices.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms:
(a) "Children" refers to persons below eighteen (18) years of age;
(b) "Commercial establishment" refers to businesses offering Internet services for profit 
such as, but not limited to, Internet cafes and other establishments offering access to 
cyberspace and the world-wide web;
(c) "Harmful materials" mean:
1) Any communication, picture, image, graphic image, information, file, article, 
recording, writing, or any other form of media that is obscene as defined by law;
2) One that depicts, describes, or represents in any manner, directly or indirectly, 
offensive to children, an actual and/or simulated (i) sexual act and/or contact, 
especially sexual perversions such as pedophilia and bestiality; or (ii) a lewd 
exhibition of the genitals or female breast; or
3) If taken as a whole, the lack of serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific 
value for children.


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(d) ’’Internet” refers collectively to the myriad of computer and telecommunications 
facilities, 
including 
equipment 
and 
operating 
software, 
which 
comprise 
the 
interconnected world-wide network of networks that employ the Transmission Control 
Protocol/ Internet Protocol, or any predecessor successor protocols to such protocol, to 
communicate information of all kinds by wire, radio, or other electronic media;
(e) ’’Internet Content” refers to all forms of information including text, pictures, 
animation, video and sound recording, and may include software;
(0 “Internet filter” refers to a piece of software that filters by keyword or blocks by 
Uniform Resource Locator or commonly known as URL what a web browser will display 
for the benefit of children;
(g) ’’Internet Service Provider” (ISP) refers to a company that provides individuals and 
companies access to the Internet and other related seiwices;
(h) ’’Public Internet points” refer to those establishments offering Internet services such 
as public or private schools, libraries, and similar establisliments that provide computer or 
Internet services to the public;
SEC. 4. Internet Safety for Children. - For purposes of this Act, Internet safety for children 
includes access to Internet materials that shall not, in any way, be harmful to the physical, moral, 
spiritual, psychological development, and social well-being of children.
SEC. 5. Restriction of Access by Children to Harmful Materials in the Internet. -  All 
commercial establishments or public Internet points offering Internet services, public and private 
educational institutions, shall be required to offer filtered "clean feed Internet service” using end- 
user or PC based filtering software to all Internet users below eighteen (18) years of age. The 
State shall encourage, infonn, and educate the parents or guardians by making the use of Internet 
filters widely accessible for households to enable parents or guardians to block web pages that 
are considered unsuitable to children.
SEC. 6. Duties and Responsibilities of ISPs. - Internet Service Providers (ISPs) shall have the 
following duties and responsibilities under this Act:
(a) Take reasonable steps to ensure that Internet access accounts are not provided to 
children under 18 years old without parental consent;
(b) Provide to its users one or more duly approved filter software products or services by 
providing them with an Internet link which they can install or download the software or 
by providing a Compact Disc which enables users to install the software on their own 
computer or a 'server based' filter software service or a service which filters Internet 
content before it is sent to the user's computer. No Internet filtering software shall be 
used in all commercial establishments or public Internet points other than those duly 
approved and prescribed by the CISC.


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SEC. 7. The Child Internet Safety Council. - There is hereby created a Child Internet Safety 
Council (CISC) under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It shall be 
headed by an Undersecretary of the said agency, and shall be composed of duly designated 
representatives of the following departments or agencies as members;
(a) Department of Education
(b) Department of Interior and Local Government
(c) Council for the Welfare of Children
(d) Commission on Information and Communications Technology
(e) National Youth Commission
(f) National Telecommunications Commission
(g) Philippine Infonnation Agency; and
(h) Non government organization concerned with the welfare of children
SEC. 8. Initial Review and Report. Within one (1) year after its creation and organization, the 
CISC shall review and evaluate:
(a) The status of government policy and industry efforts to promote Internet safety 
through educational programs, parental participation and guidance, technology 
application, blocking and filtering software, age-appropriate labels for content or other 
regulatory and technological initiatives designed to promote a safe Internet environment 
for children;
(b) 
The development of technologies to 
help parents, 
sehools, 
commercial 
establishments, and public Internet points shield children from inappropriate material on 
the Internet.
Within the same period, it shall submit a report to Congress setting forth
(a) Its findings, including any information relating to the effectiveness of existing or 
planned strategies, technologies, prevalence within industry of educational campaigns, 
parental control technologies, blocking and filtering software, labeling, or other 
technologies to assist parents and protect children’s interests; and
(b) Its recommendations as to what interventions, Internet protocols, and incentives could 
be developed and enforced for the effective implementation and employment of such 
strategies and technologies.


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SEC. 9. Duties and Functions of the CISC. - The CISC shall have the following duties and 
functions:
(a) Oversee and ensure the effective implementation of this Act;
(b) Advise the President on all matters relating to child Internet protection;
(c) Assist the concerned agencies in the review and redrafting of existing 
policies/regulations or in the formulation of new ones in line with the objectives of this 
Act;
(d) Determine Internet materials that are harmful to children;
(e) Dctcnnine and approve the appropriate Internet filtering software that will effectively 
limit children's access to unauthorized websites;
(f) Determine harmful websites to which children’s access shall be restricted;
(g) Conduct regular inspections of commercial establishments or public Internet points 
offering Internet services through its deputized representatives and with the assistance of 
the agencies provided in the preceding section and to undertake random inspections on 
their own initiative in order to monitor compliance with the standards provided herein 
and to make necessary recommendations to appropriate agencies;
(h) Deputize local government agencies or offices including law enforcement agents to 
assist it in the discharge of its duties and functions under this Act;
(i) Develop and enforce mechanisms to ensure that parents, parent-school associations 
and children are involved in research and policy development in furtherance of this Act;
(j) Coordinate with other concerned agencies of the government and the private sector 
towards the effective implementation of this Act;
(k) Perform such other functions as may be necessary to achieve the purposes of this Act.
SEC. 10. Prohibited Acts. - The following acts shall constitute an offense punishable under this 
Act:
(a) Offering unfiltered Internet service to children or allowing them access to 
unauthorized websites as detennined herein.
(b) Providing Internet services to subscribers without provisions for filtering software in 
the bundled services.
(c) Allowing within the premises of a commercial establishment, the photography, 
electronic depiction, whether in text or graphics, uploading, downloading, copying, 
burning, or transmission of harmful materials as defined in this Act.


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(d) Installing or maintaining enclosed or private cubicles, cells, private partitions or 
enclosures for individual internet users. The presence of such prohibited enclosures shall 
be prima facie evidence of unlawful services under this Act.
(e) Approving or granting a business permit to commercial establislunents operating in 
violation of this Act, without prejudice to the appropriate administrative sanctions 
applicable to public officers and employees under the Civil Service Law.
SEC. 11. Public Awareness Programs. - flic CISC shall develop, lead, undertake and coordinate 
a nationwide sectoral program to advance public awareness and involvement in furtherance of 
the purposes of this Act. The program shall utilize existing resources and efforts of the national 
government, local governments, non-profit organizations, private technologies, and Internet 
Service Providers, World-Wide Web-based resources, and other appropriate entities, and shall 
include:
(a) Identifying, promoting, and encouraging best practices for Internet safety;
(b) Establishing and carrying out a national outreach and Internet Safety Education 
campaign regarding Internet safety utilizing various media and Internet-based resources;
(c) Facilitating access to, and the exchange of, infonnation regarding Internet safety to 
promote up-to-date knowledge regarding Internet safety; and
(d) Facilitating access to Internet safety education and public awareness efforts of the 
government, nonprofit organizations, and other appropriate entities.
SEC. 12. Penalties. - Violations of this Act shall be penalized as follows:
(a) A fine of Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php50,000.00) for the first ofTense.
(b) A fine of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (PHP 100,000.00) for the second offense;
(c) Revocation of the business permits and licenses to operate and a fine of Two Hundred 
Thousand Pesos (PHP 200,000.00) for the third offense.
SEC. 13. Filing of Administrative and Civil Cases. If the violation is committed by a public 
Internet point, the CISC shall file the appropriate administrative and civil case/s against the 
highest officer responsible for the management or operations of the same.
SEC. 14. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be 
charged on the current year appropriations of the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development and other government agencies concerned, and thereafter included in the General 
Appropriations Act.
SEC. 15. Separability Clause. -  If, for any reason, a provision or any part hereof is declared 
invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.