Globe has joined calls for a more balanced approach to protecting children online, supporting safer and supervised social media use instead of imposing a total ban on minors.
Backing the position of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), the company emphasized that keeping young Filipinos safe in the digital world requires stronger platform safeguards, responsible parenting, effective regulation, and wider digital literacy—not a single sweeping restriction.
Globe said online child protection should be treated as a shared responsibility involving families, schools, government agencies, technology platforms, and local communities. By working together, these sectors can help children benefit from digital technology while reducing their exposure to harmful or inappropriate content.
During a recent Senate Committee on Basic Education hearing on proposals to regulate children’s social media access, NCMH Medical Center Chief and psychiatrist Dr. Noel Reyes cautioned against an outright ban.
Reyes noted that experiences in countries that have introduced social media restrictions suggest blanket prohibitions may also disadvantage young people who use online platforms responsibly for education, communication, creativity, and other productive activities.
Instead, he stressed the importance of guiding children toward productive and age-appropriate social media use under proper adult supervision.
Globe said the NCMH’s position highlights the need to protect minors from online risks without depriving them of technology’s educational, developmental, and social benefits.
“The National Center for Mental Health’s position reinforces the importance of creating safer digital environments that protect children while allowing them to benefit from technology’s role in learning, communication, and personal development,” said Atty. Froilan Castelo, Globe General Counsel.
“Keeping children safe online requires stronger platform safeguards, effective regulation, responsible parenting, and digital citizenship education working together. These measures provide more sustainable protection than relying on any single intervention,” he added.
Globe said this approach is also aligned with guidance from the World Health Organization, which recognizes the benefits of digital technologies for children’s learning, development, and well-being while calling for stronger safeguards, age-appropriate platform design, and improved digital literacy.
The company also acknowledged concerns raised by child health experts regarding excessive and unsupervised social media use, including its possible effects on children’s mental health, behavior, and development.
For Globe, these risks further underscore the need for parents and guardians to remain actively involved in their children’s digital lives. Technology platforms must also strengthen safety features, while schools and communities should equip young people with the skills to recognize misinformation, cyberbullying, scams, harmful content, and other online threats.
Globe likewise welcomed the position of House Committee on Basic Education Chairperson and Pasig Representative Roman Romulo, who said effective regulation may offer a more practical solution than an outright prohibition.
The company maintained that lasting child online protection can only be achieved through close collaboration among policymakers, parents, educators, mental health professionals, technology companies, and community leaders.
The initiative forms part of Globe’s broader advocacy for responsible technology use. The company previously supported the Department of Education’s efforts to encourage responsible gadget use in schools.
Through its Digital Thumbprint Program, Globe provides students, parents, teachers, and community leaders with practical training in digital citizenship, cybersecurity, cyberbullying prevention, media and information literacy, responsible artificial intelligence use, and online safety.
Globe said it remains committed to working with stakeholders to strengthen protections for children while empowering young Filipinos to learn, communicate, create, and participate responsibly in an increasingly digital world.
More information is available at Globe’s official website.