Ten government agencies have reported personal data breaches to the National Privacy Commission (NPC), which is assessing the incidents and monitoring the agencies' responses.
In a statement Tuesday, Nov. 10, the NPC identified the agencies as the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through its Bureau of Local Employment, and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
Also included are the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), Department of Justice (DOJ), through its Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and DOST-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
NPC Deputy Privacy Commissioner and spokesperson Jose S. Belarmino II said the commission reviews each notification to determine the nature of the incident, its potential impact on affected individuals, and the measures taken by the concerned agency.
The findings and recommendations are then submitted to the NPC Commission En Banc, which decides on the appropriate action.
Belarmino stressed that agencies must not only report breaches but also address security vulnerabilities, minimize potential harm, and notify affected individuals when required under privacy regulations.
Under the Data Privacy Act of 2012, government agencies remain accountable for personal information under their custody, even when its processing is outsourced to third-party service providers.
The NPC also urged the public to watch out for phishing attempts, fraudulent messages and identity theft schemes that may exploit concerns over the reported breaches.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Cyber Command is investigating a separate reported data breach involving government agencies, including the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla said the military is determining whether its data was compromised after hackers claimed on social media that they had breached government systems, according to a report by RH Edniel Parrosa.
The NPC said it continues to monitor the reported incidents, with further updates to be issued as its assessments progress.
