30 Years of Philippine Internet: Honoring the Past, Safeguarding the Future

Digital Rights Conference

MARCH 20 to 21, 2024

The Loft, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University

30 Years of Philippine Internet: Honoring the Past, Safeguarding the Future is a Digital Rights Conference organized by the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) in partnership with Internews-Philippines. It aims to bring together digital rights advocates, experts, journalists, and local communities, and provoke discussions on the various issues affecting our lives online and offline.

 

Through various plenary and breakout sessions, the Conference intends to examine the history of the Philippine Internet and discuss the current and emerging issues like artificial intelligence, privacy, disinformation, cybersecurity, access, inclusion,  gender, freedom of expression in the country and beyond. 

 

For queries about the conference please email us through the link below. 

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Program

DAY 1 (March 20)

8:30 to 9:00 

Registration

 

9:00 to 10:00 

Opening Plenary

Prayer

National Anthem

 

Welcome Remarks: 

Dr. Raphael Guerrero 

Dean, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University

 

Mr. Peter Mackenzie

Country Director and Chief of Party, Internews Philippines

 

Ms. Liza Garcia

Executive Director, Foundation for Media Alternatives

 

Keynote Message: Hon. Risa Hontiveros

Senator, Republic of the Philippines

 

10:00 to 10:20

Health Break

 

10:20 to 11:20

Plenary Panel / 30 Years PH Internet: Honoring the Past, Safeguarding the Future

 

Speakers:

Dr. Rodolfo Villarica

PH Internet Pioneer

 

Atty. Don Josef Tiansay

Division Chief, Policy Research and Analysis Division 

Department of Information and Communications Technology

 

Atty. Jamael Jacob

DPO, Ateneo de Manila University

FMA Legal and Policy Consultant

  

11:20 to 12:00

Recognition of PH Internet Pioneers

 

12:00 to 14:00

Lunch

 

14:00 to 15:20

Breakout Sessions

 

1. Critical infrastructure and emerging technology: Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Issues and Challenges

Venue: The Loft

 

2. Terrorist-tagging as a form of removable disinformation content

Venue: ASOG-Dean’s Conference Room

  

3. Privacy and digital sexual citizenship

Venue: ASOG-POH 104

 

4. AI in Education Research in the Philippines: Findings, Significance and Challenges

Venue: Hurtado Hall

 

15:20 to 15:40

Health Break

 

15:40 to 17:00

Breakout Sessions

 

5. Cybersecurity: Aligning GRC Principles and Digital Rights

Venue: ASOG-POH 102

 

6. Empowering last mile communities with the use of Starlink and P2P

Venue: ASOG-POH 104

 

7. Diversity in Tech: The crucial Role of gender diversity and representation in shaping the digital space

Venue: ASOG-Hurtado Hall 

DAY 2 (March 21)

8:30 to 9:00

Registration

 

9:00 to 10:20

Breakout Sessions

 

8. Ambiguities of Freedom of Speech: Experience of Young Women and members of the LGBTQ+ Community

Venue: The Loft, Areté

 

9. The Holistic Approach: Addressing Online Gender-Based Violence

Venue: ASOG-POH 102

 

10. Towards a Whole-of-Society Approach to Disinformation and Influence Operations

Venue: ASOG-POH 104

 

11. Power your future in tech with job skills, courses and credentials – for free with IBM SkillsBuild

Venue: ASOG-Hurtado Hall 

 

10:20 to 10:40

Health Break

 

10:40 to 12:00

Breakout Sessions

 

12. Art as a form of desistance in the time of disinformation

Venue: The Loft, Areté

 

13. Hate Speech in Digital Platforms

Venue: ASOG-POH 102

 

14. Activating Citizen Participation: Mobilizing Individuals and Creating Empowered Digital Communities

Venue: ASOG-POH 104

 

15. Youth action for promoting and defending freedom of expression in the Philippines

Venue: Hurtado Hall

 

12:00 to 13:30

Lunch

 

13:30 to 15:30

Plenary Session: Launch of Philippine Declaration of Internet Rights and Principles 2.0

 

Facilitator: 

Alan Alegre

 

Speakers:

Dominic Ligot

Cirrolytix

 

Atty. Jacqueline Ann De Guia

Executive Director, Commission on Human Rights

 

Dr. Cheryll Soriano

De La Salle University

 

15:30 

Closing Plenary

Dr. Philip Arnold Tuano

Dean, Ateneo School of Government

Speakers

Hon. Risa Hontiveros

Senator Risa Hontiveros is a health and women’s rights advocate, a proud activist, and a champion of basic sectors. She is widely known and celebrated for her tireless work in promoting public health, the rights of women and other marginalized groups, and the welfare of the Filipino family. A multi-awarded public servant, community organizer and broadcast journalist, Hontiveros served as the Representative of Akbayan Partylist from 2004-2010. She was first elected to the Senate in 2016, and was later re-elected by voters to a new Senate term in 2022. As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, Hontiveros has successfully pushed into law the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (RA 11861), which provides wider social benefits to solo parents, the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313) which protects Filipinos, especially women, from gender-based harassment in public spaces, and the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children Law.

Peter Mackenzie​

Peter Mackenzie is Internews’ Philippines Country Director and Chief of Party. He has more than 25 years’ experience in the fields of international development and policy. Before join­ing Internews, he served as Philippines Country Director for ABA ROLI, and he has also held management positions for INGOs working on peacebuilding, justice, civil society, and elections in Kenya, Somalia, and Somaliland. Earlier in his career, Pete worked on pro­grams and research projects focused on governance and security issues in China. 

Dr. Rodolfo Villarica​

Dr. Rodolfo “Rudy” Villarica is considered one of the Fathers of the Philippine Internet. As part of the Industrial Research Foundation, Dr. Villarica spearheaded the Philnet project, which was the first to connect a Philippine network to the global Internet in 1994.

Liza Garcia

Liza Garcia is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Media Alternatives. She specializes in women’s rights and ICT. Liza has an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of the Philippines, a Masters degree in International Relations from the Kiev State University and an MA in Women and Development Studies from the University of the Philippines.

Philip Arnold Tuaño

Philip Arnold P. Tuaño, PhD is currently dean of the Ateneo School of Government, the leadership and public policy school of the Ateneo de Manila University. 

He is also the President of the board of the Foundation for Media Alternatives, International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance, and the KASAGANA-KA Mutual Benefit Association.

Dr. Raphael A. Guerrero

Dr. Raphael A. Guerrero is Dean of the School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) of the Ateneo de Manila University. He obtained his PhD in Physics from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2005. Dr. Guerrero holds the rank of Professor at the Ateneo where he has taught with the Department of Physics for 23 years. Prior to the deanship, he served as Chair of Physics from 2016 to 2019 and Acting Dean of SOSE in 2019. In 2013, he was recognized by the National Academy of Science and Technology (Philippines) as an Outstanding Young Scientist. 

Atty. Jamael Jacob

Jam is a recognised authority in data protection. An IAPP Fellow of Information Privacy and a Certified Senior Lead Implementer of Privacy Information Management Systems, he has more than 12 years of experience in the field and 15 years of practicing law. He is the Data Protection Officer of the Ateneo de Manila University, and acts as Policy and Legal Advisor of the Foundation for Media Alternatives. He was the first policy head of the National Privacy Commission and played a major role in the drafting of many of its initial issuances, including the implementing rules of the country’s data privacy law. 

Atty. Don Josef Tiansay

Atty. Don Josef Tiansay is the Division Chief of the Policy Research and Analysis Division of the Department of Information and Communications Technology. As Division Chief, he leads the development of a cohesive strategy to ensure efficient and effective research, review, development, updating, adoption, implementation and assessment of ICT policies. He completed his undergraduate degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman and his law degree from the Lyceum of the Philippines University.

Session Speakers

Atty. Francis Acero

Francis, or Atty. Kiko, as he is known in the data privacy space, has worked in data privacy since 2013 in multiple capacities. Atty. Kiko is the Data Privacy Officer of the Manila Electric Company and its subsidiaries. Atty. Kiko holds the rank of Master Privacy Trainer with the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines; he has been teaching data privacy law and practice for several years. Atty. Kiko is a founder and a member of the Board of Trustees of Democracy.Net.PH, a non-profit that focuses on internet freedom, online rights, development, and security. Prior to Meralco, Atty. Kiko served as the first Complaints and Investigation Division Chief of the National Privacy Commission from 2016-2019 and was part of the team that drafted the IRR of the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Engels Antonio

Engels Antonio is the Chairman of the Philippine National Police Information Technology Management Service Advisory Group for Police Transformation and Development. Additionally, he holds the position of Auditor in the PNP National Advisory Group for Police Transformation and Development. Engels is also the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of NADPOP and the Director General of Bluepoint Foundation, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Glycirynne Dianne Apolonio

Gly is an experienced telecommunications professional, currently holding the position of Assistant Vice President and Head of Service Operations Center at Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. She is an Electronics and Communications Engineering graduate with expertise in network design, project implementation, and after-sales support. Gly is an APRICOT Fellow for 2023 and has expertise in Service Delivery/Activation, Service Management, Data Services Management, Transport Services Management, and Core Services Management. She is an active member of the Philippine Network Operators Group (PhNOG) working group and the Internet Society – Philippine chapter. Her contributions underscore her dedication to advancing technology and fostering collaboration. Her stature as a leader in the telecommunications field is widely recognized.

Lito Averia

Lito Averia is a seasoned ICT practitioner with over four (4) decades of experience in the industry.  He is the President of the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PHCERT).  He is among those who lobbied for ICT related laws, in particular, the Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, among others.  His current focus is on matters relating to cybersecurity, cybercrime, and personal data protection, among others.

Leah Barbia

She is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication double major Political Science from the University of the Philippines. She has a Masters’s Degree in Women and Development Studies and is a candidate for the Doctor in Social Development from the same University. She is currently the Deputy Chief of the Center for Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights of the Commission on Human Rights.

Marc Batac

Marc Batac is a researcher, activist-organizer, and social designer based in the Philippines. He is focused on the intersection of peacebuilding and resistance and on reimagining security in the context of rising militarism and authoritarianism in Southeast and East Asia.

He is currently Co-Lead and Process Designer of CIVIC Futures-Philippines, an independent initiative that seeks to catalyze cross-movement collaborations and experiments on pushing back against security overreach. He co-founded and co-facilitates the coordinative backstage of the #MilkTeaAlliance, a digital-based and youth-led solidarity network of pro-democracy and anti-militarism movement leaders across Myanmar, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the wider East Asia. He was previously affiliated with Mindanao-based Initiatives for International Dialogue, and Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)-Southeast Asia. He authored/co-authored the study Resistance and Alternatives to the ‘Wars’ on Civic Space in the Philippines (2023), “An Explosive Cocktail – Counter-terrorism, militarisation and authoritarianism in the Philippines” (2021), and “Preventing hate speech, incitement and discrimination: the case of the Philippines and Mindanao (2021).”

Atty. Dana Batnag

Atty. Dana Batnag is a human rights lawyer and a data privacy advocate. She has two international certifications on data privacy and information management, and is a member of both NADPOP and MAD.

Atty. Golda Benjamin

Golda S. Benjamin is the Asia Pacific Campaigner of Access Now, an international human rights organization working to defend and extend the digital rights of people and communities at risk. She works on issues related to content governance and censorship, surveillance, internet shutdowns, and other issues related to digital rights. Golda has over 15 years experience in Philippine and international NGOs. She also worked as chief of legislation for a Philippine senator and has served as consultant for the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Rowella Marri Berizo

Rowella is a gender and digital rights youth activist whose work focuses on mainstreaming digital rights issues, specifically Online Gender-based Violence and online censorship.

She is a strong advocate of meaningful youth engagement in high-level discussions about Internet governance and online safety. She is currently working on a social media campaign that aims to raise the awareness of the Filipino youth on issues about OGBV and digital rights.

Joey Bernabe

Joey Bernabe graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in BS Psychology in 2021. She has been with Lunas Collective, a volunteer-operated chat helpline catering to gender-based violence and SRHR concerns, since 2020, starting out as an intern, counseling manager and now, is currently the helpline manager. She’s also the Chief Operating Officer for a youth organization called ARMY Bayanihan, promoting social awareness for the youth and raising funds for a variety of beneficiaries.

Rex P. Bringula

Rex P. Bringula, Ph.D. is a full professor in the College of Computer Studies and Systems at the University of the East (UE). He has participated in numerous research projects funded by both educational institutions and governmental bodies, in addition to actively participating in local and international conferences. He has published more than 60 research articles indexed in major databases. He has been recognized with several awards from different organizations including the University of the East, the Philippine Society of Educators, the UE Alumni Association, and international conferences, acknowledging his contributions in multiple roles such as educator, alumnus, and researcher. He is currently studying PhD in Computer Science in Ateneo de Manila University. 

Josua Cabrera

Josua is a Visayan visual artist from Maasin City, Southern Leyte who currently lives in Cebu City. He’s a cartoonist/satirist, graphic and publication designer, poet and a short story writer writing in Cebuano language. He authored a poetry book entitled “Kisaw”, illustrated poetry book entitled “Sa Bukid sa Mahayahay” and comic strips “Latagaw” and “Jimsky Komiks”. He was the former president of Bathlad, Inc., an organization of literary writers writing in Cebuano language and the former art chief of SunStar Cebu.

Joel Dabao

For 13 years (to present) with KCAT and 10 years in Philippine Cable and Telecommunications Association (PCTA) Leadership, Joel has worked with companies and government on policies that bring connectivity outside of the city centers of the Philippines. With KCAT, he’s grown and transformed a legacy cable tv operator into the first fiber internet provider in Negros Occidental serving communities and bringing Internet access from the big cities all the way to the hinterlands.

Paul John Domalaon

Paul works as the Information and Communications Coordinator at Save the Children Philippines, where he actively contributes to telling meaningful stories #ForAndWithChildren.

Outside his full-time role, Paul is part of a youth-led campaign dedicated to championing digital rights for Filipinos, focusing on combatting Online Gender-Based Violence or OGBV in the country. This initiative evolved from his involvement in Amnesty International’s “Digital Disruptors” project which aims to establish safe online spaces for children and youth.

Macoy Dubs

Macoy Dubs, a seasoned content creator since 2017, brings a wealth of experience from an 8-year stint in the advertising industry. Transitioning to a full-time content creator in 2020, he has carved a niche for himself with his engaging comedic shorts and skits. Beyond his entertaining content, Macoy is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and is continuously showcasing his commitment to truthful storytelling by collaborating with Probe on its Tsek Eks anti-disinformation campaign.

Colline Estrada

Colline Estrada is a Junior ICT Associate at the UP Diliman Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, where she focuses on designing, implementing and maintaining various ICT services and infrastructure. Additionally, she is part of the High-Performance Computing and Networking Team of the College of Engineering. She is currently pursuing a ME in Electrical Engineering specializing in Computer Networks.

Rossine Fallorina

Rossine Fallorina is the managing editor of the Sigla Action Research Center, a non-profit that envisions a healthier public sphere for Filipinos. A disinformation researcher since 2019, he has co-authored several reports on disinformation, including Human Rights in Survival Mode: Rebuilding Trust and Supporting Digital Workers in the Philippines (2021), Parallel Public Spheres: Influence Operations in the 2022 Philippine Elections (2022), and From Disinformation to Influence Operations: The Evolution of Disinformation in Three Electoral Cycles (2023).

Nica Hanopol

Nica Hanopol is a journalist and fact-checker at VERA Files, a nonprofit media organization that undertakes in-depth reporting on pressing national issues and the first Philippine signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network. Nica leads VERA Files’ political fact-checking team and covers various topics, including health, the economy, and the elections. In 2024, she assumed the role of product lead for VERA Files’ fact-checking initiative, where she collaborates with editorial, audience, and technology teams to develop and implement strategies for the organization’s digital publishing platforms.

Sam Jacoba

Sam Jacoba is the Founding President of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP), the country’s first Community of Practice on Data Privacy and Cybersecurity. Sam is also Vice President of PH-CERT, and Co-Founder and Founding Vice Chair of Cloud Security Alliance Philippines. 

Jeanette Laurel-Ampog

Jeanette Laurel-Ampog is a feminist who has been working with sexually exploited women and children since 1992 and has been at the forefront of campaigning for the rights of women and girls.  She is currently the Executive Director of Talikala, Incorporated, an NGO based in Davao City that works with sexually exploited and abused women and girls; Board Treasurer of Luna Legal Resource Center for Women and Children and Alliance Against AIDS in Mindanao; Area Convenor–Davao City of the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT); and National President of the Break the Silence National Network- a network of LGUs, NGOs and faith-based organizations working on child sexual abuse prevention program in the country.

Currently, she is the Chairperson of the Alliance Against AIDS in Mindanao. She is also a convenor of Philwomen on ASEAN which engages the ASEAN structure on issues of women and girls such as VAW, migration, trafficking in persons, sexual violence, and economic justice.

Thina Lopez

Thina is a feminist social worker by profession and digital security trainer with a focus on women’s rights, and internet governance. She is also a proud collaborator and member of the feminist movement in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Since 2015, she has been the Gender Program Officer at the Foundation for Media Alternatives and has been a mentor for youth-led digital campaign projects and social-impact-themed hackathons.

Ma. Maristela Z. Miranda

Maris has more than 7 years’ experience in privacy and data protection, primarily as LIGHTS’s Senior Associate, and as a former member of the Privacy Policy Office of the National Privacy Commission. She holds multiple certifications in the field of data protection (CIPM, ISO 27701 Lead Implementer, and ISO 31000 Lead Risk Manager).

Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos

Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos is an independent ICT policy researcher with a special focus on Internet connectivity, telecommunications, and information security of critical infrastructure. She has worked with multilateral development institutions and non-profits, including The Asia Foundation, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, USAID, and LirneAsia. Grace has served as a consultant on ICT policy for the Department of Justice, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Science and Technology, and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. Grace is lead advocate of Better Internet PH, a non-profit group pushing for an accessible, reliable, affordable, and secure Internet. In 2020, she started Secure Connections, a group advocating for policy reforms to improve cybersecurity in the Philippines. Grace currently consults for The Asia Foundation, World Bank, ADB, the Global Index for Responsible AI, and the Asia Open RAN Academy.

Sophiya Montaño

Sophiya Montaño is a program staff at the Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau, Inc. (WLB) and currently leads the WLB’s Iskwela Peminista (Feminist School), a program that advocates ending gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, through intergenerational learning and movement building.

Marlon Julian Nombrado

Marlon Julian Nombrado is a critical media literacy educator with nine years of teaching experience in both formal and informal settings. He is one of the co-founders of the award-winning educational nonprofit, Out of The Box Media Literacy Initiative or OOTB. Along with his organization, he was awarded First Prize in the 2021 Global Media & Information Literacy Awards of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance. He has published reference materials, taught in hundreds of workshops, and produced media campaigns on how to critically and responsibly engage with media for civic good.

Maria Theresa Perez

With her local industry and academic network, research and community engagement experience, Mia joined the APNIC Foundation in October 2020. She liaises between the Foundation and the project beneficiaries. She also supports and monitors the professional development needs of beneficiaries and collaborates with the Foundation for activities deemed necessary to achieve project objectives.

Before joining the Foundation, Mia previously worked for different government-funded research projects at the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, University of the Philippines- Diliman for 7 years. Her most notable involvement was being one of the design and deployment engineers of the first community network deployed in rural Philippines.

She has a degree in Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering and Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering.

Maria Mercedes Rodrigo

Maria Mercedes T. Rodrigo is a professor at the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science and head of the Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences. Her research interests include learning analytics, artificial intelligence in education, and technology in education. She is on the Executive Committee of the Artificial Intelligence Education Society. In 2021, Dr. Rodrigo received the Distinguished Researcher Award from the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (APSCE) and is President of APSCE.

Atty. Grace Salonga

Atty. Grace Salonga is the Executive Director of the Movement Against Disinformation (MAD). She is a Senior Associate in Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia Law Office, and a law lecturer in Corporation Law and Securities in Lyceum University of the Philippines Law School. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Ateneo Law School and her Masters of Law from the University of Sydney, in Australia.  

Janina Sarmiento

Janina Sarmiento is studying Women and Development at the University of the Philippines Diliman and was a Fellow at the 2021 Safe in Cyberspace Youth Fellowship Program. Her research interests include exploring how digital platforms impact women’s rights. At present, she does communications work at a government research institute. Janina also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of the Philippines Tacloban College.

Atty. Cecilia Soria

Cecilia Soria is a Philippines-licensed lawyer, with core practice in Data Privacy Law. She holds Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and Certified Information Privacy Professional – Europe (CIPP-E) certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and is currently a Privacy Lawyer for a leading telco.

Dr. William Emmanuel Yu

William Yu is a passionate advocate of shaping Internet and technology policy. He is Chief Technology Officer of MDI Novare, working on various projects involving digital transformation, elastic infrastructure, and end-to-end AGILE DevOps. William is an active technology advocate with organizations such as the Internet Society, PH-CERT, PPCRV, and the DICT. He also teaches in the Computer Science Department at the Ateneo de Manila University. William is the network security expert of Secure Connections.

Cartoonist Zach

Zach is a political cartoonist for print and online publications. He has been working for CBCP Monitor newspaper since 2019. His cartoons also appeared in various publications abroad, such as Cartoon Movement, Le Monde, Courier International, Le Temps, France 24, Al Araby, and more. In social media, he publishes his cartoons under “Cartoonist ZACH”.  Pitik Bulag, a cartoonist collective he currently manages, collaborated with #FactsFirstPH in creating cartoons and comics that aim to combat disinformation. He is an active member of Cartooning for Peace and DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism.

and many more!

News and Updates

FMA celebrates the International Women's Day

Foundation for Media Alternatives greets women from every walk of life a Happy International Women’s Day! Read more here.

Registration for the Digital Rights Conference 2024 is now open

Calling all digital rights advocates, rights defenders, policy experts, and technologists! Details about registration, applying for a breakout session, and the event program are available at here.

Civil society to celebrate 30 years of Philippine Internet in Digital Rights Conference 2024

Stakeholders from civil society, government, the academe, and the private sector are set to convene in a two-day celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Philippine Internet in the Digital Rights Conference 2024. Read more here.

Online Gender-Based Violence in the Philippines: 2023 Yearend Report

Violence against women and girls is an alarming issue that occurs within and beyond the online sphere. The rapid evolution of technology may often mean progress and convenience, but existing digital tools have also lent themselves to the proliferation of online gender-based violence (OGBV). Read more here. 

On cybercrime, disinformation, and Internet access: The FMA Digital Rights Roundup (December 1-31, 2023)

The Digital Rights Roundup, published by the Foundation for Media Alternatives, contains regular updates on what Filipinos need to know about their digital rights. Read more here. 

On VAW, cybersecurity, and digital technology: The FMA Digital Rights Roundup (November 1-30, 2023)

The Digital Rights Roundup, published by the Foundation for Media Alternatives, contains regular updates on what Filipinos need to know about their digital rights. Read more here. 

Breakout Session Tracks

Artificial Intelligence

As modern society embraces the era of Artificial Intelligence, it is imperative to examine AI’s impact on and intersection with our individual rights. Sessions under this track will zero in on AI and digital rights.

Disinformation

This track is a deep dive into the societal, technological, and other aspects of disinformation in digital spaces.

Privacy and Data Protection

The internet has allowed for free flow of information, making users more visible and more connected than ever. However, this openness needs to be balanced with the individual right to privacy and legal obligations on data protection.

Cybersecurity

This track tackles the new and emerging security threats in cyberspace, ways to mitigate them, and the roles that each stakeholder group must play in order to ensure a safe and secure Philippine internet.

Freedom of Information and Censorship

Along with disinformation, Filipinos also face threats of censorship and curtailment of free speech in digital spaces. Sessions under this track will focus on freedom of expression online.

Access and Digital Divide

Rights on the internet are intricately connected with the right to the internet. This breakout track delves into the issues of access, connectivity, and bridging the persisting digital divide in the Philippines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone can attend the conference! You may register as a participant using this link.

You or your organization may propose your own breakout session by completing this form. Note that this is subject to approval, and that all organizers are expected to document their own session and submit the documentation to info@fma.ph after the event.

Confirmed registered participants will receive a digital event pass which they will be presenting to the guards upon entrance to the Ateneo along with a valid ID. Participants are advised to keep a copy of said pass on their phone, or they may also opt to have it printed. They will be given their official event ID after registering at the venue. We kindly ask that all participants complete the campus entry form or the private vehicle form (depending on how you will get to the venue) in compliance with Ateneo’s safety protocols.

Please note that it is important that all participants provide us with the requested details as they will be forwarded to the Campus Safety and Mobility Office (CSMO) to keep track of everyone entering the campus for the conference. This will also ensure your smooth entry to the University.

  1.  Smoking is not permitted in any premises or grounds of the University at any time by any person regardless of their status or business in the University.
  2. Alcohol cannot be sold, served, or consumed within the University.
  3. Firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other deadly weapons are strictly prohibited in the University. If you will be coming to the event with your security personnel carrying said weapons, please coordinate with us so we can notify the Campus Safety and Mobility Office (CSMO) and ensure your smooth entrance to the University. You may email info@fma.ph for this.
  4. Gambling of any kind is prohibited on campus and in all university-sponsored activities whether held on or outside the campus.

You may refer to the map at the end of this webpage or through this link.

We suggest that participants enter through Gate 3 (if arriving by vehicle) and 3.5 (if arriving on foot).

Please note that due to the lack of parking spots available in the vicinity of the event, we strongly encourage participants to use other alternatives such as tricycles, Grab, Angkas, or Joyride to get to the venue. However, if the use of a private vehicle is necessary, please fill out this private vehicle form.

A digital certificate may be issued after the event upon request and after verification that you attended both days of the conference and submitted a post-event evaluation form. 

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