The House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill seeking to establish a National Cybersecurity Agency (NCSA) to strengthen the country's defenses against the growing threat of cyberattacks.

House Bill No. 9605, or the National Cybersecurity and Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 2026, seeks to create the NCSA as the lead agency responsible for implementing cybersecurity policies, coordinating national cyber defense efforts, and protecting the country's critical information infrastructure.

Camarines Sur 5th District Rep. Miguel Luis Villafuerte, who sponsored the measure, said cybersecurity has evolved beyond an information technology concern and has become a matter of national security because essential services now rely heavily on digital systems.

"Ang tanong ngayon ay hindi na kung magkakaroon pa ba tayo ng malaking cyberattack. Ang tanong ay kung handa ba ang ating bansa kapag ito ay dumating," Villafuerte said.

He added that the proposed measure would strengthen national coordination and incident response while setting minimum cybersecurity standards for critical information infrastructure.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe cited a series of cyberattacks targeting government institutions, including the defacement of the House of Representatives website in 2023 and separate attacks on the websites of the Senate and the House in June 2026.

"Cybercrime is no longer an isolated or occasional threat. It has become organized, industrialized, and increasingly sophisticated," Poe said.

He warned that cybercriminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, and other digital platforms to expand their attacks, adding that "the Philippines can no longer afford to remain fragmented when it comes to our cybersecurity framework."

According to Poe, the country needs a unified cybersecurity strategy, centralized coordination, and stronger protection for critical digital infrastructure before a major cyberattack disrupts essential public services and threatens national security.

The House approved the measure on second reading during plenary session on Tuesday.