Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian is renewing calls for tighter controls on children’s use of digital platforms, reviving a proposed smartphone ban in schools and seeking a Senate inquiry into the role of online games and social media in campus violence.
Gatchalian said he is pushing Senate Bill No. 627, or the proposed Electronic Gadget-Free Schools Act, which would prohibit students from Kindergarten to Senior High School in both public and private schools from using smartphones and other electronic gadgets during class hours.
The measure would allow exceptions for classroom presentations and other teacher-directed learning activities, as well as for students with specific health conditions and in emergencies or other situations involving a perceived threat or danger.
“Maliban sa pagtiyak sa kaligtasan ng ating mga mag-aaral, isinusulong din natin ang smartphone ban sa mga paaralan upang matiyak nating nakatutok sila sa pag-aaral at hindi sila naaabala,” Gatchalian said.
The senator renewed the proposal after the suspension of on-site classes at a Batangas public school over a shooting threat.
He also pointed to a foiled school attack in Laguna in February involving seven students allegedly recruited by foreign handlers through the online game Roblox.
In a separate move, Gatchalian filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 488, which seeks an inquiry into the effects of online gaming platforms and social media use on children, including their possible role in the rise of school violence.
The resolution followed a series of violent incidents in schools, including the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that killed three students.
Police said the suspects had been heavily exposed to GoreBox, a violence-simulating online game later temporarily blocked by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center.
Gatchalian also cited a stabbing incident at Cabaluay National High School in Zamboanga City that injured at least two students.
At a Senate Committee on Basic Education hearing last year, the Department of Education said at least 103 bullying incidents escalated into campus violence from Nov. 24, 2022 to April 7, 2025.
“Hindi natin maaaring balewalain ang epekto ng walang kontrol na digital exposure sa mga kabataan. Panahon nang tiyakin kung sapat ang ating mga polisiya upang maprotektahan sila,” Gatchalian said.
