THE HOUSE of Representatives’ proposal seeking to strengthen safeguards for children on social media has been included in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) Common Legislative Agenda, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III confirmed.

Dy welcomed the inclusion of House Bill No. 9965, or the Children’s Social Media Safety Act, among the priority measures approved during the fifth LEDAC meeting last week, presided over by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The bill seeks to protect children from the harmful effects and misuse of social media by establishing a regulatory framework governing minors’ access to social media platforms.

Among its key provisions are age-verification mechanisms, stronger parental controls, greater accountability for social media platforms, and digital safety standards aimed at creating a safer online environment for children.

The measure seeks to address growing concerns over children’s exposure to harmful online content, inappropriate interactions, and other risks associated with social media use, while promoting responsible and safer digital engagement.

Dy said the inclusion of the measure in the LEDAC Common Legislative Agenda underscores the government’s recognition of the need to strengthen child protection in the digital space.

Also included in the LEDAC agenda is House Bill No. 3538, or the Sierra Madre Conservation and Development Act, authored by Dy.

The measure seeks to establish a unified governance framework for the Sierra Madre Range, adopt a 25-year development plan, strengthen science-based environmental management, and promote sustainable livelihoods for communities dependent on the country’s longest mountain range.

With the latest additions, the LEDAC Common Legislative Agenda now consists of 60 priority bills, 27 of which have already been approved by the House on third and final reading.