The Philippines has moved closer to expanding state powers against online child exploitation, grooming and technology-facilitated abuse after Congress ratified legislation that would impose stricter safety requirements on digital platforms.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Thursday that the measure, widely known as the Batang Ligtas bill, is awaiting transmittal to Malacañang for the signature of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. With congressional action complete, the President’s signature is the remaining step needed for the bill to become law.

Speaking at a news briefing, Assistant Justice Secretary Michelle Anne S. Lapuz said the legislation would strengthen existing protections against the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, including abuse involving artificial intelligence. The Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report on Sept. 30, completing congressional action on the bill, formally titled the Law Against Internet Grooming and Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Sexual Exploitation.

“We really hope this can be delivered to Malacañang before we celebrate National Children’s Month this coming November,” Ms. Lapuz said in Filipino.

The bill is among the administration’s priority measures under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council agenda. Once in force, it will broaden child protection laws to cover online recruitment and grooming, as well as the inducement of minors to commit violent acts.

Technology platforms and financial technology companies will be required to establish age verification mechanisms and build child safety protections into their services. Digital platforms must also designate Philippine-based legal representatives to respond to law enforcement requests for information. Taken together, these provisions would reshape compliance obligations for social media services and fintech firms serving users in the Philippines, from how ages are verified to how platforms handle information requests from authorities.

Schools and universities will take on a greater role in identifying and reporting suspected online grooming and abuse, including cases marked by changes in students’ behavior. “The schools and universities are recognized as frontline defenders,” Ms. Lapuz said. Teachers and school administrators are expected to spot warning and refer suspected cases to the police, local governments and social workers.

Ms. Lapuz said authorities were investigating suspected online groomers and groups but declined to give details, citing active operations.

Justice Secretary Fredderick A. Vida said the legislation would strengthen enforcement while stressing that parents must stay alert. “We need to be vigilant and listen to them and shoulder our responsibilities,” he told the same briefing.

Senate Passes Smart Kids Act

In a separate move, the Senate approved a bill setting a minimum age for social media use, as lawmakers sought to shield children from harmful online content and exploitation.

The chamber voted 16-1, with no abstentions, to pass Senate Bill No. 2424, the proposed Smart Kids Act, which would bar children younger than 16 from creating or using accounts on age-restricted social media platforms. It would also require parents, guardians and technology platforms to take steps to limit children’s exposure to online risks.

Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian said the measure would help address harmful online influences, citing concerns over school violence and the spread of violent extremist content. He and other senators had earlier called for legislation against nihilistic violent extremism, an online movement that encourages violence and has been linked by Philippine authorities to incidents including a school shooting in Tacloban.

“This is a landmark piece of legislation,” Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said. “It will help influence our youth, in this time [and] age where we need social media guidance and regulation.”

Mr. Gatchalian also cited proposals in the European Union to restrict children’s social media access based on age, placing the Philippine debate alongside similar efforts in other jurisdictions to set legal minimums for social media use.

Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel cast the lone dissenting vote, warning that a broad ban could push children to use social media secretly, making them harder to protect from online predators.

“Suddenly withholding this from them may have a concerning unintended consequence: driving them to conduct their social media activities underground,” she said. “Once they are less visible to parents, schools and government and private regulators, the danger of exposing them to more risks is considerable.”

Ms. Hontiveros said she supported stronger online child protection but argued that the legislation should place greater responsibility on social media companies for the safety of their services.

House Advances Children’s Digital Safety Bill

The House of Representatives approved on second reading on Oct. 6 House Bill No. 11566, the proposed Children’s Digital Safety, Protection and Well-Being Act. Approval on second reading leaves the measure one step short of final House passage, which requires a third-reading vote.

The House measure bars children younger than 13 from accessing covered digital platforms and interactive services, while those aged 13 to 17 may gain access subject to parental consent and safeguards against harmful content, targeted advertising, behavioral profiling and excessive data collection.

The proposed restrictions would also cover livestreaming, endless scrolling, short-form video feeds and gambling-like features accessible to minors. Platforms would have to use privacy-preserving age-assurance systems and verify users’ ages at least twice a year; self-declared birth dates would not be sufficient.

The measure covers the social and interactive features of online gaming platforms, including messaging and content sharing, but excludes core gameplay outside its specified scope. It likewise proposes an Office for Children’s Social Media and Digital Safety under the Department of Information and Communications Technology to oversee implementation.

Party-list Rep. Jude A. Acidre said digital platforms should share responsibility with parents and government agencies for protecting children from online threats.

“We can no longer separate the internet and social media from the lives of our children,” he said in a statement. “This is where they learn, make friends and get to know the world.”

Mr. Acidre added that the same platforms could expose children to exploitation, harmful content and experiences they are not equipped to handle, and urged stronger safeguards that would hold technology companies accountable for how their services are designed and how children use them.

Attention now turns to Malacañang, where a signature on the Batang Ligtas bill — which Ms. Lapuz hopes can be delivered before National Children’s Month in November — would set its new requirements in motion, while the Senate-passed Smart Kids Act proceeds to the House for consideration and the Children’s Digital Safety bill continues through the House floor.

— Erika Mae P. Sinaking, Pexcel John Bacon and Francessca S. Abalos