Liza advances child protection

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos has brought the lessons of the Fostering the Future Together (FTFT) advocacy to Manila, seeking to strengthen protections for Filipino children, particularly against risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI).

“From New York to Manila, we’re now turning the conversation into action. After joining First Lady Melania Trump and fellow First Spouses during the Fostering the Future Together luncheon, I was asked to bring the FTFT initiative to the Philippines as part of the upcoming ASEAN Summit,” she said in a Facebook post over the weekend.

In March this year, US First Lady Melania Trump convened first spouses and equivalent leaders from around the world for the historic Fostering the Future Together initiative, which aims to help children learn, grow, and thrive through the safe and innovative use of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).

“We had a productive meeting with our different agencies and the Child Protection Network to explore how we could work together to give Filipino children more opportunities to learn, grow, and, most importantly, stay safe in today’s digital world,” the First Lady said.

“A special thank you to Marc Beckman for joining us and helping carry the conversation forward. There’s still much to be done, but every meaningful step begins with people who care enough to make a difference. Our children deserve a future filled with opportunities, possibilities, and protection. Together, we can help make that happen,” Mrs. Marcos emphasized.

According to the White House, FTFT provides countries with access to advanced technologies to support children, educators, and parents while protecting children from online dangers.

Major technology companies have developed these tools and are working to make them available to participating countries.

First spouses and equivalent leaders work with their respective governments to assess available technologies under the FTFT initiative.

They discuss how best to implement innovative technologies to expand educational opportunities for children, train educators and parents, and develop advanced learning environments for the future.

FTFT reflects the growing role of public-private collaboration in delivering innovative, scalable solutions for children, educators and families worldwide.