Camarines Sur 5th District Representative Migz Villafuerte is calling for the establishment of a permanent government mechanism to address the country’s growing exposure to cyberattacks.
Villafuerte, chairman of the House Committee on Communication and Information Technology, urged lawmakers to support House Bill 9605, or the proposed National Cybersecurity and Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 2026.
The measure seeks to establish a “comprehensive national framework to shield local institutions and digital systems from the increasingly pernicious threats and attacks on cyberspace and thereby ensure a more secure digital future for all Filipinos.”
Under the proposed legislation, a National Cybersecurity Agency would be created to coordinate a government-wide cybersecurity strategy, improve the country’s ability to respond to cyber intrusions, establish baseline security requirements for critical information infrastructure and provide mechanisms for congressional oversight, judicial review and legal accountability.
“The question is no longer whether our country will experience another major cyber attack; the question is whether we are prepared for it when that happens,” Villafuerte said. “And because such a threat has become permanent, our institutional response must also be a permanent one,” said Villafuerte, who sponsored the measure in the plenary session hall last week.
“Ang tanong ngayon ay hindi na kung magkakaroon pa ba tayo ng malaking cyberattack. Ang tanong ay kung handa ba ang ating bansa kapag ito ay dumating,” he added.
Villafuerte said the issue can no longer be viewed simply as a matter of information technology, stressing that cybersecurity has become an element of national security.
“Isa na itong usapin ng pambansang seguridad. At kung permanente ang banta, permanente rin dapat ang ating institutional response,” he said.
He noted that several critical sectors have become increasingly dependent on digital infrastructure.
“Sa kasalukuyan, ang ating ekonomiya, sistemang pinansyal, suplay ng kuryente, transportasyon, serbisyong pangkalusugan, at maging ang paghahatid ng serbisyo ng pamahalaan ay nakasalalay na sa digital systems,” he said.
The lawmaker warned that successful cyberattacks against these systems could affect much more than individual computers or networks.
“Kapag ang mga sistemang ito ay nakompromiso ng cyber attack, hindi lamang mga computer ang naaapektuhan. Naaapektuhan ang ekonomiya, ang mga serbisyo sa publiko, at ang kaligtasan ng bawat Pilipino,” the solon added.
Villafuerte sponsored the proposed Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CIIP) measure alongside House Assistant Majority Leader and FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Representative Brian Poe and Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mika Suansing, who chairs the House Committee on Appropriations.
The bill subsequently secured approval on second reading.
Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative Luigi Villafuerte, another author of the measure, said the legislation has become increasingly urgent following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s issuance of Executive Order No. 119.
The executive order revised the Government Data Classification Framework established in 1964, with the goal of accelerating digital transformation while strengthening safeguards against cyber-related risks.
According to Rep. Luigi, EO 119 permits government offices to use cloud-based technologies, establishes standardized cybersecurity protocols for government information and strengthens the country’s ability to withstand cyber threats.
The proposed Cybersecurity Act is also included among the 48 priority bills that President Marcos identified last year through the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council for expedited legislative action.