SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday raised concerns over the continued presence of underage Filipino users on Facebook despite the platform’s minimum age requirement of 13 years old.
Gatchalian cited government data that indicate a significant number of children below the required age are active on social media.
During a hearing of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Gatchalian pointed to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which showed that a large percentage of young Filipino internet users maintain social media accounts even before reaching the minimum age set by major platforms such as Facebook.
According to the PSA, 87.64 percent of Filipino internet users aged 12 have a social media account, while 80.76 percent of internet users aged 11 are already using social media. Among 10-year-old internet users, 72.86 percent have social media accounts. The data also showed that 93.72 percent of internet users aged 13 — the minimum age required to create a Facebook account — are active on social media.
Gatchalian said the figures underscore the need for stronger measures to protect children from the potential risks associated with early and unsupervised exposure to digital platforms.
“We know that technology brings many benefits. But it also has negative effects on our youth, especially if the use of gadgets and other technologies is not monitored and not given proper guidance,” Gatchalian said during the committee hearing.
He emphasized that while digital technology has become an important tool for education, communication, and access to information, excessive or unregulated use among children may expose them to harmful online content, cyberbullying, privacy risks, and other threats that could affect their well-being and development.
To address these concerns, Gatchalian has proposed legislative measures aimed at strengthening child protection in the digital space.
He has filed the proposed Social Media Safety for Children Act (Senate Bill 2066), which seeks to prohibit children below 16 years old from accessing social media platforms.
Gatchalian also authored the proposed Electronic Gadget-Free Schools Act (SB 627), which seeks to prohibit the use of smartphones and other electronic devices during class hours. The proposal is intended to minimize classroom distractions, improve student focus, and promote a more conducive learning environment.
