The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said its recent engagement with Facebook-owner Meta Platforms over online disinformation has yet to produce the concrete commitments the Philippine government is seeking.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Presidential Communications Office (PCO), and Department of Justice (DOJ) signed a memorandum of agreement creating a unified framework under “Oplan Kontra Fake News,” an initiative positioned as a coordinated response to the spread of false and misleading content online.
Developed by Bryl Lim and his team at PocketDevs, TunAI won top honors at the inaugural OpenGov Hackathon, hosted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) last May 22, 2025.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said in a statement on Monday, May 12, that Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — has dramatically accelerated its takedown of election-related disinformation, with some removals occurring within an hour.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) have called on Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — to act more swiftly against online disinformation, fake accounts, and coordinated inauthentic behavior, even beyond the May 12 national and local elections.
Under this partnership, Google will strengthen AI-powered content detection, enhance human moderation, and tighten enforcement of YouTube Community Guidelines. Meanwhile, DICT’s Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) will launch a rapid-response channel to flag harmful and unlawful online content.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) secretary Jay C. Ruiz said his agency has already crafted an operational framework designed to identify and monitor websites and online content known for spreading false information.
New data from Google Trends show that the Philippines is still the top country in the world searching for terms “fake news” and “misinformation” over the past year.
The country is also part of the top ten in the world searching for “disinformation” and “fact-checking” as topics. This means that more Filipinos are getting curious and would like to understand more about these important issues, Google said.
Fact-checking is a basic skill that everyone should learn, Deunida is quick to point out, adding that there are some quick and easy ways to help spot fake news.
