BAGUIO CITY – The City Councils approved on first reading a proposed ordinance institutionalizing the annual observance of the Safer Internet Day for Children and appropriating funds for the said purpose.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Lilia A. Fariñas and Levy Lloyd B. Orcales states that with the underlying principle of the parents patria that the city government has a legal obligation to act as a secondary mechanism and support in nurturing and protecting the rights and welfare of the children, the observance of the Safer Internet Day for Children in the city shall be conducted every second Tuesday of February and every year thereafter.
The ordinance adds that for the attainment of the objectives of the proposed measure, there shall be a conduct of consultation with the children and youth leaders, representatives and organizations on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Declaration of the Protection of Children and Online Abuses and Exploitation; announcement of Safety Internet Day for Children through intensive information and education campaign to schools and the barangays and orientation on preventing child pornography.
Further, in the exercise of the power of regulation and such other powers delegated to it in an expressed, implied and incidental manner to the city government, it shall have the authority to make additional items of activities in solely and directly related to the promotion of a safer internet environment for the children.
The ordinance claims the city government shall coordinate with other government agencies and civic groups to help in the awareness campaign which shall not be limited to the Department of Education–Division Office, the Department of Information and Communication Technology and to the entire inter-agency council against child pornography.
According to the proposed city legislative measure, there shall be an appropriate amount of P1,000 which shall be sourced from the city’s youth development office under the City Social Welfare and Development for the conduct and observance of the Safer Internet Day for Children in the city.
The ordinance tasks the city youth development office through the City Youth Development Officer and the City Social Welfare and Development Office to oversee the implementation of the pertinent provisions of the measure.
Section 13, Article 2 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State recognizes the indispensable and significant role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being.
The Department of the Interior and City Government (DILG) issued Memorandum Circular No. 2020-13 on the 2020 observance of the Safer Internet Day for Children enjoining all city government units to support and institutionalize in each locality measures to promote better and safer internet use for everyone and to raise awareness on online issues faced by children.
In order to promote and maximize the proper growth of the youth, considering that all city government units, including Baguio City, has a legal mandate to protect them from all forms of harm and abuse, hence, the city should aggressively act in devising mechanisms to support the nurture the holistic development of the youth.
By Dexter A. See
