The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has blocked access to gambling and explicit websites across all internet connections provided under the country’s public Wi-Fi program.
The Philippines is working to enhance students’ and residents’ online safety in remote communities while also expanding internet connection with government Free Wifi for All projects. This announcement was made during the unveiling of new connectivity projects in Zamboanga del Sur. As part of this new social service program, government officials confirmed that publicly subsidized internet connections in schools and educational institutions will employ filtering systems.
The Department of Information Communications Technology’s Assistant Secretary June Vincent Manuel-Gaudan explained that filtering technology is used to keep users from being able to access gambling sites and pornographic materials through public government wifi networks.
While officials acknowledged that some people may attempt to get around these restrictions by using VPNs, he said that the Department of Information and Communications Technology will continue to enhance their oversight of filtered wifi and the use of VPNs to bypass those restrictions. The Department of Information and Communications Technology also blocks thousands of cyber attack attempts every day through its Cybersecurity Bureau and assists other agencies with online security and data protection procedures.
In addition to the aforementioned filtering systems, the Philippine government recently installed 324 wifi hotspots at 108 schools throughout Zamboanga del Sur. Many schools are located in rural areas where limited access to the internet makes it very difficult to access information and communicate with family members.
These new restrictions are part of the broader plan being developed by the Philippines to strengthen the supervision of online gambling, cybercrime, and internet safety in conjunction with the ongoing efforts to expand nationwide access to the internet through public infrastructure projects.
