Sen. Bam Aquino has rejected calls for an outright ban on video games for minors following the fatal school shooting in Zamboanga City, saying the government should instead tighten the enforcement of age restrictions on mature-rated games and restrict minors’ access to harmful online chat groups.
Sen. Bam Aquino has urged the House of Representatives to pass the CADENA Act, a proposed budget transparency law, following deadly flooding that renewed questions over the government’s use of billions of pesos for flood-control projects.
Government officials, lawmakers, regulators, and technology executives have expressed support for the wider adoption of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) during the opening forum of Philippine Blockchain Week 2026.
Sen. Bam Aquino has opposed a proposed Department Administrative Order (DAO) by the Department of Trade and Industry that would require businesses — including online sellers — to secure permits before publishing advertisements and sales promotions.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said a recent interruption affecting parts of the eGovPH app was caused by a spike in user activity that strained system capacity, even as officials acknowledged funding issues raised in a Senate hearing.
Sen. Bam Aquino highlighted the industry’s economic weight, noting that IT-BPM employs around 1.9 million Filipinos and contributes about 8.2% to the country’s gross domestic product.
Sen. Bam Aquino noted the measure represents the next stage of his earlier “Blockchain the Budget” proposal, refined to integrate advanced digital infrastructure for transparency.
Facing mounting public backlash and appeals from online entrepreneurs, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has decided to defer the mandatory registration for the E-Commerce Philippine Trustmark and extend its voluntary phase until December 31, 2025.
According to Sen. Bam Aquino, the Internet Transactions Act defines the Trustmark as a voluntary program that sellers may choose to obtain to boost consumer confidence, not a mandatory one.
Sen. Bam Aquino has underscored the need to fully implement Republic Act 10929, or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, saying the measure will benefit millions of Filipinos who cannot afford Internet connectivity.
