Recommendations for Lawmakers on Social Media Accountability and Digital Well-being

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Th upe Digital Battlefield—A Call for Urgent Action

In today’s hyperconnected world, social media is more than just a platform—it’s a battlefield for truth, identity, and mental well-being. Every second, billions of posts flood our screens, shaping public opinion, influencing elections, and even endangering lives. Yet, behind the seemingly harmless scroll lies an unchecked digital landscape, where misinformation spreads like wildfire, cyberbullying ruins lives, and tech giants operate with minimal accountability.

In light of the upcoming House Committee Inquiry on Social Media Accountability and Digital Well-being, these recommendations provide a balanced approach to legislation that promotes online safety, authenticity, and responsible digital engagement while respecting free speech and innovation.

1. Enhancing Social Media Accountability

A. Stronger Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Measures

Amend the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173)

Require social media platforms to store Philippine user data within the country to prevent data breaches and foreign interference.

Mandate social media companies to report cybersecurity incidents within 24-48 hours to the National Privacy Commission (NPC).

Mandatory Cybersecurity Audits

Require annual security audits for social media platforms to assess data protection measures and prevent cybercrimes.

Establish penalties for platforms that fail to safeguard user data, similar to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

B. Local Registration for Social Media Platforms

Require foreign social media companies to register a legal entity in the Philippines under DICT regulations, ensuring compliance with local laws.

Implement a tax structure for digital platforms, with a portion allocated to government programs on cybersecurity, digital literacy, and cybercrime prevention.

C. Ethical Standards for Social Media Influencers and Content Creators

Establish a National Digital Content Regulatory Board under MTRCB and DICT to oversee content creators, vloggers, and influencers.

Require all influencers with more than 100,000 followers to register under this board for accountability.

Implement disclosure guidelines for sponsored content, especially political and advocacy-related materials, similar to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines in the U.S.

2. Ensuring Authenticity in Digital Communications

A. Strengthening RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012)

Expand legal coverage to include:

Doxxing (publishing private information without consent).

AI-generated disinformation (deepfake videos, manipulated content).

Online gender-based violence (harassment, stalking, cyber sexual abuse).

Improve Enforcement

Create a National Cybercrime Reporting System (similar to the US Cyber Tipline) where users can directly report cybercrimes to the DICT and NBI.

Strengthen coordination between the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) and DOJ Cybercrime Office to ensure faster investigation and response.

B. Mandatory Digital Literacy Education

Integrate Digital Literacy into K-12 & Higher Education

Implement "Digital Ethics & Media Literacy" subjects in schools under DepEd and CHED, covering topics like:

Identifying misinformation & fake news.

Cybersecurity & safe digital practices.

Responsible online communication & civic engagement.

Require Digital Ethics Training for Government Employees & Corporations

Government employees and private sector workers should undergo annual cybersecurity & digital ethics training to prevent data leaks, cybercrimes, and online abuse.

C. Stricter Regulations on Deepfake & AI-Generated Content

Mandatory AI-Generated Content Labeling

Require explicit watermarking on AI-generated images, videos, and audio to prevent manipulation and deception in political campaigns and social discourse.

Ban the Unauthorized Use of AI for Political Propaganda

Prohibit the use of AI-generated deepfake videos for political campaigns, fraud, and character defamation.

D. Mandatory Public Disclosures for Political & Sponsored Content

Require social media platforms and influencers to disclose all political advertising and sponsorships in a public database.

Implement clear labeling for all paid political ads and endorsements to combat misinformation and manipulative narratives.

3. Advancing Digital Well-Being

A. Mental Health Safeguards in Social Media Use

Require social media platforms to implement mental health warnings

Introduce "Time Limits & Digital Well-being Alerts" for excessive usage.

Provide in-app mental health resources & crisis hotline links for users experiencing online abuse.

Stronger Measures Against Cyberbullying & Harassment

Establish a fast-track system for removing online harassment content, especially for minors.

Implement stricter penalties for repeated offenders engaging in cyberbullying.

B. Safe Digital Spaces for Minors

Introduce Online Age Verification & Child Protection Mechanisms

Require stricter parental controls & identity verification for users under 18.

Ban the monetization of exploitative child content in family vlogs & streaming platforms.

Stronger School-Based Cyber Protection Programs

Require schools to monitor and address cyberbullying cases proactively through DICT & DepEd partnerships.

Develop an anonymous reporting system for students facing online harassment.

4. Legislative & Policy Actions

A. Creation of a National Digital Rights & Responsibility Act

Introduce a comprehensive law defining the rights and responsibilities of digital citizens, including:

Freedom from cyber harassment & misinformation

Right to digital privacy & fair online treatment

Legal accountability for misuse of social media platforms

B. Support for Independent Fact-Checking Organizations

Provide government-backed grants for independent fact-checking organizations, like Vera Files and Rappler’s Fact-Check Initiative, to strengthen the fight against disinformation.

Require social media platforms to work with accredited fact-checkers for misinformation moderation.

C. Whistleblower Protection for Social Media Moderators & Content Monitors

Establish legal protections for employees of tech companies who expose unethical content moderation practices or internal corruption.

Enforce accountability measures on social media executives who allow the unchecked spread of misinformation and harmful content.

D. Stronger Government-Media-Platform Collaboration

Require regular consultations between Congress, media organizations, and social media platforms to assess digital threats and misinformation trends.

Implement a quarterly reporting system for tech companies, requiring transparency on content moderation policies and cybersecurity measures.

These recommendations present a balanced, enforceable, and future-proof legislative approach to addressing digital accountability, misinformation, and online safety. Lawmakers, regulatory bodies, and private stakeholders must work together to create a digital environment that prioritizes transparency, ethics, and public well-being.

A Digital Future Worth Fighting For

The stakes have never been higher. Our democracy, personal privacy, and mental well-being are under siege in the digital age. Without decisive action, we risk a future where deepfakes rewrite history, cybercriminals roam unchecked, and the Filipino people remain voiceless in the algorithms that dictate their reality.

But the future is not yet written. We stand at a crossroads—where lawmakers, industry leaders, and citizens must choose between complacency and action, regulation and chaos, accountability and anarchy.

This is more than a policy debate; it is a fight for truth over deception, safety over exploitation, and responsibility over profit. The time for half-measures is over. The Philippines must lead by example, proving that a free and open digital world can also be a safe and ethical one.

The battle begins now. The question is: Will we win it?

The Hunters and the Hunted: The Battle to Save the Philippine Warty Pig

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In the dense, mist-shrouded forests of Leyte, Ed Permangil spent three decades mastering the art of the hunt. As a young man, hunger drove him to set crude yet effective snare traps deep in the jungle. “Whenever I had no money for food, I used to set traps like this,” he explains, demonstrating how a spring-loaded device could entangle a pig’s leg, leaving it helpless for days. “Snared pigs can last up to a week before dying of dehydration. We slaughter, gut, and chop them right in the jungle—bringing down only the meat.”

Ed was one of countless baboy damo (wild pig) hunters who relied on this trade, selling lean, gamey pork for as much as PHP700 per kilo. Over the years, he estimates that he has caught nearly a thousand wild pigs.

But Ed’s story is not just one of survival—it is also a tale of transformation.

A Vanishing Icon of the Philippine Wilderness

The Philippines is home to five species of wild pigs, all of which are now in danger of extinction:

Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippensis) – Vulnerable

Oliver’s Warty Pig (S. oliveri) – Vulnerable

Palawan Bearded Pig (S. ahoenobarbus) – Near Threatened

Visayan Warty Pig (S. cebifrons) – Critically Endangered

Bearded Pig (S. barbatus) – Vulnerable (found in Tawi-Tawi, as well as Indonesia and Malaysia)

Centuries of hunting, deforestation, and hybridization with domestic pigs have devastated their numbers. One of the biggest threats? The illegal bushmeat trade, which still thrives in parts of the country.

Snuffling for snacks. Wild pigs have a highly developed sense of smell and can find food buried deep beneath the soil. A pig’s sense of smell is over 2000 better than ours.

“Ping Pong” Pig Bombs and Other Hunting Methods

While some hunters, like Ed, relied on traditional traps, others turned to more gruesome methods. Iñigo Orias, a former hunter, once preferred using explosives. “This is a type of pig-killing bomb called a pong because it looks like a ping-pong ball,” he says, showing off three gleaming silver spheres.

Each pong contained a deadly mixture of gunpowder, match heads, and ceramic shrapnel, all dipped in wax for waterproofing. Hunters would wrap the explosives in rotting bait, such as water buffalo hide, and wait for an unsuspecting pig to take a bite. “When the pig bites, the primer ignites—and its head explodes.”

For many hunters, the risk of being mistaken for rebel combatants by the military made carrying firearms dangerous. This led to a rise in passive hunting methods like snares, poisoned bait, and explosives—all of which continue to harm the country’s fragile ecosystems.

Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippensis) at a holding facility in Luzon. Hunted for thousands of years and now classified by the IUCN as Vulnerable, it has become so rare that when an old boar was spotted on Mt. Apo in April 2022, it made headlines. This young male has yet to grow distinctive tusks and facial hair. (

The Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippensis) is the most widely distributed of the country’s five wild pig species. Sporting stylish mohawks, nifty bangs, cool beards and facial warts, ‘Baboy Damo’ have been pushed deep into the country’s forests due to a combination of hunting, habitat loss and diseases such as African Swine Fever. Accidental crossbreeding with domestic pigs is also a major threat. 

The Law vs. The Hunt: Can We Save the Baboy Damo?

Under Republic Act No. 9147, also known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, hunting native wildlife is strictly prohibited. “Anyone found guilty of killing a threatened species may face fines of PHP20,000 to PHP1,000,000 and/or one to 12 years in jail,” explains wildlife researcher Emerson Sy.

Despite these laws, illegal hunting persists, fueled by high demand for wild meat. Baboy damo is still openly sold in some online forums, despite crackdowns by authorities.

From Hunters to Guardians of the Forest

The story of Ed Permangil and Iñigo Orias, however, takes a hopeful turn.

In 2019, Ed hung up his traps and became a Barangay Forest Protection Brigade patrolman under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). His mission? To stop others from making the same mistakes he did.

Similarly, Iñigo now works to educate communities about the importance of conservation. “I spent years hunting these pigs,” he admits. “Now, I spend my days trying to protect them.”

A New Hope for the Baboy Damo

Efforts to save the Philippine Warty Pig are gaining momentum. Organizations like the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) have included the species in their BINHI Flagship Species Initiative (FSI), alongside other endangered creatures like the Visayan Hornbill and the Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox.

“Wild pigs play a critical role in our ecosystems,” says Atty. Theresa Tenazas, former DENR Wildlife Resources Division Chief. “They help regenerate forests by aerating the soil and dispersing seeds. Instead of seeing them as pests, we need to recognize their value.”

Nelmar Aguilar, EDC’s Watershed Management Officer for Leyte, agrees: “Beyond sustainable development, we need regenerative development—a way to protect not just the environment, but also the people who depend on it.”

Retired trapper Ed Permangil shows author Gregg Yan how a snare trap is set up. The crude contraptions are pressure-activated and can swiftly entangle the leg of an unsuspecting pig, deer or monitor lizard.

Jungle signpost. A boar skull, its teeth and tusks yanked off to make lucky charms, is lashed to a wooden post in Leyte. Generations of hunters have hunted wild pigs, deer and other types of endangered Philippine wildlife – most of which are now protected by Republic Act 9147 or the Philippine Wildlife Act.

Retired hunter Iñigo Orias shows off three live ‘ping-pong’ or pig-killing bombs. “When a wild pig bites this bomb, the primer ignites and the pig’s head explodes,” he explains. The homemade shotgun is rarely used, as hunters are wary of being tagged as Communist rebel combatants. 

Tools of the trade. A homemade 12-gauge pugakang shotgun, nylon ropes to make snare traps and various paraphernalia to make explosives called pong are brought out by a former hunter in Leyte. Though illegal, these are still used by poachers throughout the Philippines.

More often seen in museums. Two children have fun with a stuffed Philippine Warty Pig at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila. Due to centuries of hunting and habitat loss, wildlife such as wild pigs, crocodiles and pythons are now easier to see in zoos and museums. 

Still sold online. Wild deer and boar meat are still openly sold in online fora and shops.

Hogtied. Snare traps allow hunters to catch and transport live pigs. “Since it’s hard and dangerous to carry a struggling pig, we usually kill, gut and chop it up onsite, keeping only the meat,” reveals a former trapper.

The Battle Continues

The Philippine Warty Pig is fighting for its survival against illegal hunting, habitat destruction, and hybridization. The question remains: Will we act fast enough to save it?

With former hunters like Ed and Iñigo now on the frontlines of conservation, there is hope. But laws must be enforced, awareness must spread, and the demand for bushmeat must end.

Only then can we ensure that future generations will still hear the calls of the baboy damo echoing through the Philippine forests.

What Can You Do?

Report illegal wildlife hunting and trade to the DENR.

Support organizations working to protect the Philippine Warty Pig.

Raise awareness about the importance of conserving our native wildlife.

The fate of the baboy damo—and our forests—rests in our hands.

Contributed by Gregg Yan

The First Philippine-Made Airboat: Innovatronix Revolutionizes Water Navigation

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Philippines, with its vast waterways, lakes, and flood-prone areas, has long needed an innovative solution for efficient water transport and rescue operations. Enter the Innovatronix Airboat—the first commercially manufactured airboat proudly made in the Philippines.

This game-changing vessel is not only a testament to Filipino engineering ingenuity but also a practical tool for both recreational use and disaster response. Whether for leisure trips on lakes and marshes or critical missions in flood-stricken areas, the Innovatronix Airboat is designed to perform in the country’s unique water environments.

Cutting-Edge Features and Specifications

Every aspect of the Innovatronix Airboat is meticulously designed to ensure maximum efficiency, durability, and safety. After six hull iterations, eight engine trials, and over 800 hours of testing, Innovatronix has finally perfected the ideal airboat for local conditions.

Superior Build and Design

Fiberglass Hull Dimensions: 15 ft (L) x 5 ft (W) x 21 in (H)

Overall Dimensions: 17 ft (L) x 5.25 ft (W) x 7 ft (H)

Boat Weight: 275 kg

Passenger Capacity: 6 persons or up to 350 kg

Flat-Bottom Design: Optimized for smooth rides over shallow waters, making it ideal for lakes, marshes, dams, and flooded areas.

Power and Performance

Engine: 1000cc EFI gasoline engine with 33 HP output

Top Speed: More than 10 km/h even when fully loaded

Fuel Efficiency: A 22.7-liter fuel tank allows for an impressive 8 hours of continuous cruising without refueling

Propeller: A 52-inch diameter, three-blade propeller for powerful thrust

Durability and Safety Features

Stainless Steel Build: Designed to resist rust and corrosion

Bilge/Sump Pump: Pumps over 2,000 liters per hour to keep the hull dry

Retractable Front/Rear Wheels: Allows for easy transport and launch

Hand Winch: Can load/offload up to 750 kg with a 4mm rope

Advanced Control Panel and Navigation System

Fuel Gauge & Voltmeter: Monitors fuel and battery levels

Engine Tachometer & GPS Speedometer: Ensures accurate speed tracking

Ports for Accessories: Includes a 12V cigarette lighter port and 5V USB port

Lighting Controls: Switches for bilge pump, headlights, and cockpit lights

Starter Switch with Keys: Secure and easy ignition

Safety Equipment

6 Life Jackets

2 Aluminum Alloy Paddles

Port & Starboard Lights for Night Navigation

A Revolutionary Alternative for Water Transport and Disaster Response

Innovatronix designed this airboat with the Philippines’ water conditions in mind. Its flat-bottom hull makes it ideal for calm waters such as lakes, marshes, dams, and flooded areas, providing reliable transport even in emergency situations. Unlike traditional boats, airboats do not rely on underwater propellers, making them effective in navigating shallow and debris-filled waters.

However, Innovatronix emphasizes that this airboat is not intended for open sea use, as it is designed for stability in still or slow-moving waters.

Now Available for Test Drives in Jala Jala, Rizal!

Experience the Innovatronix Airboat firsthand! A demo unit is now available for test drives in Jala Jala, Rizal. Interested buyers or enthusiasts can contact Innovatronix to schedule a test drive and see this Filipino innovation in action.

💰 Introductory Price: PHP 780,000

With its one-year warranty and unmatched local innovation, the Innovatronix Airboat is set to become a game-changer for water transport, tourism, and disaster response.

For inquiries and test drive schedules, visit the Innovatronix Official Website

The future of water navigation in the Philippines has arrived—proudly Filipino, built for Filipino needs!