Amid cyberattacks on government websites, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) is doubling its efforts to expand data privacy education in the country to safeguard the personal information and data rights of all Filipinos.
This agency's goal is in line with its mandate to maintain international data protection standards based on the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
During a forum hosted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals on Jan. 30, NPC Deputy Commissioner Leandro Angelo Aguirre said their plans this year include the creation of a Data Privacy Foundational Course, public participation in NPC initiatives, strengthening of guidelines regarding children's privacy and CCTV-related concerns, and the issuance of rules on online tracking systems.
The foundational course aim to help strengthen the agency's data protection officer, senior management, and legal professionals.
"We want to democratize access to privacy education," with the goal of releasing the course materials prior to Privacy Awareness Week in May, said Aguirre.
"The intention is to enable groups outside of Metro Manila to run their own courses with materials from the agency," he said.
Meanwhile, the "Calls For Public Input In Addition To Public Consultation" seek to enable guidelines on data scraping and direct communication with affected parties to increase transparency.
“We want to institutionalize this because the input coming from the private sector from people that are actually affected by these issuances is very valuable," said Aguirre.
In terms of CCTV issues, the agency is looking into public consultation over CCTV issuance, as well as issuing model contractual terms for cross-border transfer and privacy codes.
Guidelines on Children's Privacy may also be implemented to consider the country's cultural and sociological make-up to prevent risks and protect children's rights.
Moreover, the agency has also expressed interest in releasing rules on tracking mechanisms, targeting consent cookies and their compliance with the Circular on Consent.
The NPC will be releasing a circular on security measures, amending NPC Circular 16-01, to provide basic measures for both the private and public sectors. This will serve as a benchmark for groups to review their existing measures vis-a-vis the revised regulations.