Quezon City strengthens digital safety through new initiatives, ordinances

The Quezon City government announced this Monday that it has embarked on various initiatives and has a pending ordinance to encourage a risk-free digital environment.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte explained that they are looking into improving the city’s ability to address issues regarding online abuse experienced by its residents.

“Data shows that our young people are not helpless, they are capable of reaching out and reporting the dangers that they have experienced online,” she said.

“As the local government, this is where we have to take action – we have to build an environment where our children can feel safe to speak up and ask for help,” Belmonte added.

In a study released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in April 2025, 85 percent of children were found to have witnessed content that they said made them uncomfortable.

Out of all respondents who said they had experienced such instances, only around three percent reported the incident to authorities, while nearly 20 percent chose to keep the incident to themselves.

In its effort to address these issues, the Quezon City government launched advocacies to promote safer use of digital technology for children, particularly regarding the use of artificial intelligence.

It also sought to advance cybersecurity measures while emphasizing the importance of considering the mental and digital well-being of children who spend almost five hours per day on social media, based on the American Psychological Association.

Various officers were also mandated to undergo courses on how to better respond to cases of Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children through the Multi-Disciplinary Team–Basic Internet Crimes Against Children (MDT-BICAC) of the International Justice Mission.

“We have to make the internet a safe and meaningful space for our children, where they can thrive, learn, and express who they are,” Belmonte said.

Aside from the prior initiatives, the Quezon City Council is proposing an ordinance that establishes guidelines on digital wellness for children and teenagers.