Letter for the President: BBM Implementation of the SIM Registration Act

Dear President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,

Cybercriminals are very alarming here in our country because there's so many scammers out here just to make money. Also, cyberbullying exists because cyberspace is so wide that even kids can use it, and it can be anonymous. Because of that, I want to express my gratitude to you Mr. President because you implemented the SIM Registration Act, or Republic Act 11934. This act can help Filipinos easily know who is behind these hate speeches, scams, and a lot of other issues on social media platforms. It can clarify the victims' minds because of this Republic Act.

There were 98.41 thousand cyberattacks reported in the Philippines in June 2021, which is very concerning. They are doing this out of pride and the cyberattacks can increase more which is alerting. One of the issues is cyberbullying, which is cyberbullying harassment on social media, and it’s more alarming because it’s increasing all the time because of the teens' careless actions. According to the research, 43.8% of cyberbullying happens in the Philippines, and mostly kids are the suspects and victims. And the main reasons are jealousy, their emotions towards the victim, and entertainment. Which can lead to many impacts on the victim's life, like mental health problems or isolation, that can cause more serious illnesses than we can imagine.

Furthermore, scammers are also an issue on social media. 44% of people have been targeted for this kind of crime. Some of the fake delivery occurs when they deliver something and you don't, but the parcel doesn’t have anything on it, or when you order but the order that you want doesn't arrive. Or those scams that say they will send you a link, and when you press it, they will copy your information. And that's very alarming because it can lead to not trusting anybody or trust issues because of this kind of scam. It can cause chaos in cyberspace that can have many effects on an individual's life.

As a teen who is afraid of these crimes, I would like to extend my gratitude to you because you implemented this act that can help me or us be safer in cyberspace. As we all know, the internet is really dangerous. There are so many things happening in the internet world that can hurt individuals' feelings and cause a lot of trouble. That can cause a scene that maybe can also go to the reality world to make the situation worse.

To sum it up, the SIM Registration Act is very important to us, and it can help us in many ways in cyberspace. So, I am very thankful to you President Bongbong Marcos that you implemented this kind of act for the sake of the country and its cyberspace. It wouldn't have such crimes because of this act. It's much easier to know who’s behind all of this and who the suspects are. And it can help people to be more careful with their actions because it is easy to know what's their information because of this republic.

                          Sincerely, 

Ms. Wilch Mari Borje

References

Statista Research Department. Number of cyberattacks Philippines 2020-2021. January 13, 2023

Philippines: number of cyberattacks 2021 | Statista      

CNN Philippines Staff. Cybercrimes in Metro Manila up by 152% in first half of 2023 – PNP. July 7, 2023,

Cybercrimes in Metro Manila up by 152% in first half of 2023 – PNP (cnnphilippines.com)

MEGAN MEIER FOUNDATION. WHY DO PEOPLE CYBERBULLY?. MARCH 5, 2015 

Why Do People Cyberbully? | Megan Meier Foundation (wordpress.com)

Arlin Cuncic, MA . The Psychology of Cyberbullying. February 19, 2022

The Psychology of Cyberbullying (verywellmind.com)

Grit PH. 19 Common Scams in the Philippines – and How to Avoid them. August 7, 2023

https://grit.ph/scams/

Kris Crismundo . Digital fraud attempts in PH rise amid pandemic. March 24, 2021

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1134735

Vishal Sharma. Cyber-bullying in India. April 9, 2014 

https://mief.in/cyber-bullying-in-india/

Ista Residences. How Can I Register My Sim Card in the Philippines?. October 27, 2022

https://www.vistaresidences.com.ph/blog/how-can-i-register-my-sim-card-in-the-philippines

Apple MDM News. Beware of Scammers!. Retrieved from

Beware of Scammers (iactivate.host)

International Commision of Jurists Philippines: Immediately repeal SIM Card Registration Act that undermines online freedoms. September 3, 2022

Philippines: Immediately repeal SIM Card Registration Act that undermines online freedoms | International Commission of Jurists (icj.org)

Mong Palatino. The First 30 Days of the Marcos Presidency. July 29, 2022

The First 30 Days of the Marcos Presidency – The Diplomat