House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III is calling on local governments to strengthen efforts to protect children from threats both inside classrooms and on digital platforms, saying national policies need strong community-level implementation to be effective.
Speaking at the 2026 League of Municipalities of the Philippines Visayas Island Cluster Conference, Dy emphasized the role of mayors, barangay officials, police, schools, social workers and parents in translating proposed child-safety measures into concrete protections for children.
Dy said recent school shooting incidents have underscored the need for preventive measures, particularly those aimed at preventing minors and other unauthorized individuals from gaining access to firearms.
He cited House Bill 11387, or the proposed Responsible Firearm Ownership and Safe Storage Act, which he filed together with House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos. The proposed legislation seeks stricter requirements for the safe storage of firearms, mandatory gun-safety training and greater accountability when negligence results in a minor or another unauthorized person obtaining access to a firearm.
Under the proposal, responsible firearm ownership would extend beyond simply obtaining a license or complying with registration requirements. The measure seeks to place greater emphasis on how firearms are stored and secured, particularly in households where children may be present.
Dy said local governments would have an important role in supporting preventive programs because municipalities and barangays are where national laws and policies are ultimately implemented. He pointed to local officials and community institutions as key partners in identifying risks and responding before incidents escalate.
The Speaker also raised concerns about children’s exposure to risks online. He discussed House Bill 9965, or the proposed Children’s Social Media Safety Act, which he filed with Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez and Marcos.
The proposed measure would prohibit children below 13 from maintaining social media accounts and would require parental consent and supervision for users aged 13 to below 18. It would also require social media platforms to adopt age-verification systems, parental controls and measures intended to limit children’s exposure to harmful content.
Dy said child protection should extend beyond physical spaces such as schools and communities because children increasingly spend significant amounts of time on digital platforms. The proposed online safeguards are intended to address risks associated with children’s use of social media while placing responsibilities on platforms and parents.
For local governments, Dy urged closer coordination among barangays, police units, schools, parents and social welfare offices. He said these groups can work together to identify potential threats, strengthen emergency response and develop preventive measures tailored to individual communities.
The appeal places particular emphasis on prevention rather than relying solely on authorities to respond after an incident has already occurred. Dy said peace and order programs should include early intervention and community-based measures designed to reduce risks before they develop into emergencies.
He also drew on his experience as a former local chief executive, saying mayors have a direct understanding of problems affecting communities and can provide lawmakers with practical feedback on how national policies work on the ground.
Dy said cooperation between national and local governments should also ensure that legislation is accompanied by appropriate programs, resources and services. For child-safety measures to work in practice, he said communities need coordination among government agencies, schools, law enforcement and families.
The proposed firearm-storage and social-media measures remain subject to the legislative process, while their eventual implementation would depend on congressional action and the final provisions of any legislation that may be enacted.
As lawmakers consider measures aimed at protecting children from both physical and online threats, Dy’s call puts local governments at the center of prevention efforts. The proposed approach combines national legislation with community-level implementation, with schools, families and local officials expected to play complementary roles in keeping children safe.
