THE Cebu City Government warned City Hall employees not to engage in online gambling during office hours or face penalties.
Neophyte Councilor Nyza “Nice” Archival passed resolutions during the council’s regular session on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, requesting the Management Information and Computer Services (Mics) to block all known online gambling websites, domains and applications.
She also urged the blocking of access to Virtual Private Network (VPN) software, browser extensions and mobile applications across all internet networks managed or provided by the City Government, including both internal office networks and public-access Wi-Fi.
She further urged the Human Resource Development Office to monitor and prohibit online gambling among employees and impose penalties against those caught in the act under Civil Service Rules and other applicable national laws.
Archival filed the resolutions due to “growing concern” about employees misusing City-provided internet for online gambling. This internet access is intended for official duties and public service delivery.
She said access to these sites and applications leads to addiction, financial distress, moral decay and decreased productivity.
She also said that VPNs were reportedly used to bypass existing digital restrictions to these sites, hence they must also be blocked.
Archival cited Section 5.6 of City Ordinance 2142, which prohibits City Hall employees from engaging in any forms of gambling, either physical or online, during official working hours.
Employees caught gambling online during office hours face administrative misconduct penalties under Civil Service rules.
The resolutions aligned with the nationwide public call against the effects of online gambling on Filipino society and they supported the enactment of the proposed bill by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, seeking a total ban on all forms of online gambling in the country.
Archival has requested the Mics to provide a regular and updated list of restricted gambling-related domains and VPN applications.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a statement on July 20, lamented the leniency in the accessibility of online gambling in the country due to rapid digitalization, stating that its effects included the destruction of families.
Several lawmakers from both the upper and lower houses have filed proposed measures to either regulate or completely ban online gambling, acknowledging its societal impact, especially on families and the youth.
Beyond a total ban, some proposals also seek to prevent digital wallets and payment service providers, such as credit cards, GCash and PayMaya, from facilitating online gambling transactions. / EHP