MALOLOS CITY (PIA) — Around 70 students of Bulacan Agricultural State College (BASC) strengthened their digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness after participating in Kilos Kabataan: Unite for a Digital Safe Future.
The virtual youth forum was held on March 3 and was spearheaded by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Central Luzon as part of continuing efforts to promote responsible digital citizenship amid the growing threats of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, online scams, and cyberbullying that harm trust, safety, and community resilience in the digital space.
As digital platforms increasingly shape public opinion and access to information, the youth sector remains among the most active online users.
Recognizing this, PIA designed the activity as an engagement platform that equips young Filipinos with critical thinking skills and practical tools to verify information, protect personal data, and participate responsibly in online discussions.
PIA Assistant Regional Head Carlo Lorenzo Datu emphasized the importance of fact-checking before sharing content, scrutinizing sources, and identifying manipulated or misleading materials circulating on social media.
“Let us be discerning about the content we see online. We also have the Maging Mapanuri campaign of our mother agency, the Presidential Communications Office, which aims to build an enlightened digital community in the country. Fake news can cause real harm, and many have fallen victim to scams. Through this initiative, we hope every Filipino becomes more critical of the content they encounter, especially online,” he said.
Students learned how false information spreads rapidly and how individual online behavior contributes either to the problem or to the solution.
DICT Central Luzon Project Development Officer Julius Lester Benter discussed major cyber threats such as phishing attacks, ransomware, and various online scams.
He encouraged participants to practice basic cybersecurity measures, including creating strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, and avoiding suspicious links.
For many participants, the forum served as a timely intervention. Some students shared that they regularly encounter questionable posts and unsolicited messages online but previously lacked the knowledge to assess their credibility.
Through the session, they gained practical guidance on identifying false or misleading information, checking the credibility of online sources, and adopting safe online practices to avoid falling victim to cyber threats and scams.
“Very helpful po ito lalo na sa panahong mas nakatuon na tayo sa technology. At panigurado, bilang mga devcomm students at sa hinaharap, magagamit po namin ang mga kaalamang ito at maibabahagi rin sa aming mga komunidad. Maraming salamat po sa PIA at sa DICT,” BASC Federation of Supreme Student Council President Edwin Santos said in his message of support.
Now on its ninth season, Kilos Kabataan continues to expand its reach across Central Luzon, reinforcing the national government’s thrust to build a digitally resilient and informed citizenry.
The initiative supports broader efforts to safeguard the online environment while empowering the youth to become advocates of truth and responsible communication.
By investing in media and information literacy at the grassroots level, PIA and DICT strengthen the role of young Filipinos not only as consumers of information but also as partners in nation-building in the digital age. (Rick P. Quiambao)
