Roblox, a gaming platform, will integrate the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) into its platform for the age and identity verification of users, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said Friday.
In an interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos, DICT Secretary Frederick Aguda said Roblox has agreed to use the Philippine National ID system as part of measures to strengthen child safety and protect young users on the platform.
“Si Roblox, nag-agree na gagamitin ang National ID,” Aguda said.
Aguda said a Roblox team is expected to arrive in the Philippines by the first week of September to study the implementation of the system.
The use of the National ID for age verification was among the issues discussed during a meeting between DICT and other government agencies and executives from Roblox and Meta in Singapore.
Aguda said the discussions also covered various child safety measures, including parental controls and the removal of violent content from the platforms.
The discussion with Meta, meanwhile, took longer but turned into a productive workshop, according to Aguda.
He said Meta recognized the reforms being proposed by the Philippine government to strengthen protections for children online.
Among the measures discussed were limiting screen time on Facebook during school days, regulating the content shown on the platform, and strengthening parental controls.
“Yung mga hinihingi po namin na reporma, ang sabi ni Facebook: ‘We hear you, we acknowledge the gap and we will be better,’” Aguda quoted Meta as saying.
“Sabi ko sa kanila medyo kailangan niyo baguhin ‘yung imahen ng META,” Aguda said.
The DICT secretary said Roblox is also preparing to establish an office in the Philippines, further strengthening the company’s cooperation with the government on online safety measures. Meanwhile, Meta executives are expected to travel to the Philippines, where the company and the government are set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by mid-September.
Watch the full interview below.
