BAGUIO City Councilor Levy Llyod Orcales, Sangguniang Kabataan Baguio president, has filed an ordinance seeking the permanence of the Safer Internet Day for the youth.
“In order to promote and maximize the power of the youth, regulation as early as their juvenile and fragile age must be properly and eagerly conducted, considering that all local government units including the city government of Baguio has a legal mandate to protect them from all forms of harm and abuse, hence the city government should act regressively in devising mechanisms to support the nurture of holistic development of our youth,” Orcales said.
If the local law is passed, the observance of Safer Internet Day for children in the city will be conducted every second Tuesday of February.
The objective of the new ordinance aims to have consultations with children and youth leaders, representatives and organizations on the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) declaration on the protection of children online abuse and exploitation.
Another objective is the announcement of Safer Internet Day for children through intensive information – education campaign to schools and the barangays as well as an orientation child pornography.
“With the curiosity and innocence of our children, they are easy prey of the undue and improper influence sourcing from unreliable information and misuse of various digital platforms accessible in the large world of the internet. In addition, people with unlawful purposes may perpetuate their crimes via the internet that may cause our youth in an unprotected and helpless experience,” the youth leader said.
Implementing office will be the City Youth Development Office through the city youth development officer and Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office with an initial P100,000 fund.
“The city government must raise precaution and awareness to the public most especially to the children of the allowed or acceptable use of the internet considering children’s rights and welfare with the children’s protection code of the city, as amended, this measure shall strengthen the programs of the city to ensure a safer physical and digital environment for our children,” Orcales added.