THE Senate continues with the tradition of ferreting out the truth in many areas of Philippine society, mostly uncomfortable truths that many officials would rather sweep under the rug.
Talking about digital technology, it was revealed at a budget hearing of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) that the Philippines is No. 1 in the world in terms of digital illiteracy, even considering that many Filipinos are now using cellphones and are connected to the internet.
It was also disclosed by DICT officials that the Philippines is second in the world in terms of online sexual exploitation of children.
The first world ranking mentioned is something that can be improved with the right training and official attention. In fact, DICT Undersecretary for Connectivity, Cybersecurity and Upskilling Jeffrey Ian Dy clarified that such international ranking was made from a United Nations report in 2019.
‘We all know that cyberspace has become the domain of pedophiles and other low lives who exploit the poverty and ignorance of children and their parents.’
The last four years saw the government and the private sector in the Philippines ramping up training and utilization of new IT programs, and there is reason to believe that this data has been updated. Dy said he is “particularly confident” that the country has increased intermediate or average literacy in information and communications technology (ICT).
The UN defines basic ICT literacy skills as navigating a certain operating system.
Intermediate skills, on the other hand, require knowledge of using worksheets and presentation software. Dy noted that many Filipinos know how to use mobile phones and social media apps, but they cannot navigate an operating system. Those of us who desire to work in the IT industry can get the right training and thus raise the level of skills in this industry.
The second embarrassing rank, that of second in the globe in online sexual abuse of children, was reported by the DICT’s attached agency, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
Mincing no words, CICC Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary Mary Rose Magsaysay said this ranking shows that many Filipinos are subjecting their children to sexual activities online to earn money.
We all know that cyberspace has become the domain of pedophiles and other low lives who exploit the poverty and ignorance of children and their parents. Some parents or adult relatives of minors sell these children’s sexually explicit photos and videos to sex predators, mostly foreigners. Laws protecting children from these illegal activities are being flagrantly violated.
DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy admitted that the prime reason for this anomaly is “poverty, but primarily, in terms of cybersecurity, we lack the necessary tools in order to identify perpetrators of these crimes and to track them.”
In other words, the DICT should be given all the funding support from Congress to be able to render the needed service and arrest the continuing misery and degradation of Filipino children.
