House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy said measures seeking to strengthen children’s online safety and establish a long-term development plan for the Sierra Madre have been included among the government’s priority legislative measures.

Dy said he proposed the two bills during the fifth Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., where they were approved for inclusion in the priority agenda.

“These proposals are intended to complement existing priority legislation to respond to the evolving needs of our people and advance the nation’s long-term development goals,” Dy said.

He said the measures seek to protect the country’s future by safeguarding children while preserving the environment they will inherit.

Protecting children online

Under the proposed Children’s Social Media Safety Act, a comprehensive regulatory framework would be established to restrict children’s access to social media through age restrictions and parental controls.

The measure would also require online platforms to comply with digital safety standards and hold them accountable for implementing safeguards.

“Today, our children are growing up in a digital world that exposes them to cyberbullying, online exploitation, harmful content, addictive platform design, and algorithm-driven manipulation,” Dy said.

“The law we propose seeks to establish clear safety standards, strengthen parental controls, improve platform accountability, and promote responsible digital citizenship while protecting the best interests of every Filipino child.”

25-year plan for Sierra Madre

The proposed Sierra Madre Conservation and Development Act, meanwhile, seeks to establish a 25-year development plan for the Sierra Madre mountain range in Luzon.

The measure calls for a science-based environmental management framework while promoting sustainable livelihoods for communities dependent on the mountain range.

“The Sierra Madre is not only a bastion of biodiversity but also a vital natural defense against typhoons, a cornerstone of water security, and an indispensable ally in combating climate change,” Dy said.

“By adopting a unified governance approach and a long-term development strategy, we aim to safeguard this national treasure while fostering sustainable livelihoods for the communities that rely upon it.”

Five other measures were added to the LEDAC Common Legislative Agenda: the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act, Agriculture Cooperatives Development Act and Promoting Growth, Revenue, and Equity towards Socio-Economic Sustainability Package, as well as proposed amendments to the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act and Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act.

The additions bring the total number of LEDAC priority measures to 60, of which 27 have passed the House on third and final reading.