Yves Gonzalez, Head of Public Policy for the Philippines at TikTok; Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang, Executive Director of Plan International Pilipinas; Youth Advocates Rinoa, Shantel, Marianne, and Kathleen; Bea Bautista, Head of Communications for the Philippines at TikTok.
TikTok is deepening its push for safer digital spaces for Filipino teens through a new partnership with Plan International Pilipinas, a collaboration that places young people themselves at the center of the conversation on online safety, digital literacy, and responsible content creation.
The alliance strengthens TikTok’s #ThinkTwice Troop initiative, which advocates thoughtful and safe online engagement, by welcoming its newest members — and notably, its first teen members.
Introduced during a National Women’s Month event, youth advocates Rinoa, Shantel, Marianne, and Kathleen from various Plan International Pilipinas projects now join the program, bringing first-hand perspectives on how young people navigate the digital world and what they need from platforms to feel secure, heard, and empowered online.
For TikTok, the partnership marks another step in shaping a safer and more inclusive digital environment by listening directly to the experiences of teens, especially young girls, who face unique challenges as they build communities, express themselves, and discover opportunities online.
“Safety has always been at the core of everything we do at TikTok,” said Yves Gonzalez, Head of Public Policy for the Philippines at TikTok. “Expanding the #ThinkTwice Troop through our partnership with Plan International Pilipinas allows us to directly engage with more young people, understand their aspirations and challenges, and empower them to navigate digital spaces safely with confidence and creativity.”
During a youth panel at the event, the teen advocates shared how education on privacy settings, safety tools, and platform features plays a critical role in helping them participate more confidently in online communities.
They also spoke about the positive side of digital spaces, describing platforms like TikTok as places where they can creatively express themselves, connect with others, and explore new interests in ways that have become an important part of everyday life for many young people.
Their participation underscored a broader message: teens should not only be protected online, but also actively involved in shaping the policies, tools, and conversations that affect their digital experiences. For the youth advocates, safer online spaces begin with platforms that are designed with their realities in mind.
“Teen-friendly and easy-to-understand policies, user-friendly tools, insights from the youth — these are just some of the aspects that are vital for platforms to understand and apply in creating safer environments for us,” Marianne said.
The event also widened the discussion beyond youth engagement, highlighting the need for stronger representation of women in technology, digital governance, and online content creation.
In a separate panel, Plan International Pilipinas Executive Director Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang joined Globe Telecom Chief Privacy Officer Irish Almeida and educator-content creator Lyqa Maravilla in emphasizing that building safe and empowering online spaces requires women and girls to have a stronger voice in leadership, policy development, and storytelling.
“We believe that young people, especially girls, face distinct vulnerabilities in the digital world, and must be at the heart of conversations that determine how online spaces are designed and governed. This collaboration not only amplifies their voices but also equips them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate the online world safely and responsibly, empowering them to become proactive and informed digital citizens,” Sanchez-Ogang said.
Beyond the discussions, participants also took part in a content creation session with motivational speaker and TikTok creator Gia Abao, learning how to use the platform more effectively to advance their own advocacies and amplify causes that matter to them.
The partnership between TikTok and Plan International Pilipinas reflects a growing recognition that online safety cannot rest on technology alone. It requires ongoing collaboration among platforms, civil society groups, educators, government, and communities — and, crucially, the active involvement of the young people these systems are meant to protect.
By bringing teen voices into the #ThinkTwice Troop, TikTok is signaling that safer digital spaces are built not just for young people, but with them.