Phl lawmakers join Korean-led global movement for internet peace

Philippine legislators from the House of Representatives has joined a Korean-led global movement for Internet peace, especially fighting against cyber-bullying and “fake news”.

Lady legislators led by San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Rep. Florida Robes signed recently a memorandum of agreement launching the Sunfull Internet Peace Movement in the Philippines.

Joining Robes in signing the MOA with SunFull Foundation’s Dr. Byoung-chul Min is Korean Ambassador Han Dong Man in ceremonies at the Seda Hotel Vertis North in Quezon City were Pangasinan Rep. Rose Marie Arenas and Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Ann Hofer.

Robes, tapped as Sunfull ambassador, said that the move to join the movement was made essential with the increasing number of cyberbullying cases happening in the country.

“Stairway Foundation Inc., a child-care nonprofit organization, reported that 80 percent of Filipino teenagers aged 13 to 16 years using social media had been cyber bullied,” Robes said.

“The same organization reported that 70 percent of Filipino children aged 7 to 12 years were also bullied online,” she added.

“Since 2007, Sunfull Foundation has been conducting its own anti-cyberbullying and anti-hate speech campaign, the Sunfull Internet Peace Movement. More than 7,000 schools and organizations in Korea are participating in the Sunfull Movement,” Robes said.

“Its movement to spread positive, encouraging speech in social media has rippled out to more countries and we in the Philippines are extremely happy that you have started to extend the movement in our schools,” Robes said.

The Korean envoy, for his part, said that the Korea and the Philippines had the same emerging problem on cyber bullying, and that the tie-up to bring the campaign to Philippine schools was important.

“Korea, which has the fastest Internet connection speed in the world, also has a problem with cyberbullying.

Ï believe that while social media has become a channel for bullying that causes mental and emotional distress, this can be turned around or even prevented outright by initiatives such as the Sunfull Internet Peace Movement,” the envoy said.

“The main objective of the Internet Peace Movement is to inspire the public to post messages on encouragement and condolence to those targeted by malicious online attacks and the victims of tragic world events,” he added.

“With the support of the Philippine government, we hope to propagate a movement against cyber bullying and hate speech and actively work for the protection of human rights on the internet without curtailing constitutional rights to free speech and expression,” the ambassador called.