Nueva Ecija 3rd District Representative Rosanna “Ria” Vergara has filed House Bill No. 3112 which pushes for the creation of an Internet Games Review and Classification Board (IGRCB) in the Philippines.
The Internet Games and Review Classification Act wants to ensure that Filipinos, more importantly the youth, can take advantage of the advancement of technology while being safe from its inevitable dangers and risks — especially in the gaming industry.
As per the bill, the main task of the proposed IGRCB is to review and classify internet games and to ensure that the classification is being followed by the public.
The IGRCB, which is proposed to be part of the Department of Information and Technology (DICT), will classify games into age-appropriate categories based on local and international standards.
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They can also make internet games restricted to public access through review and classification.
The board can also order the closure of internet cafes, computer rental shops, and other establishments that will violate the provisions of the act.
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Moreover, the board can ask the help of law enforcement agencies and LGUs to implement and enforce its decisions.
The bill also tasks internet service providers to inform the IGRCB about all the internet games that are unknown to the board. This means that no internet games shall be available to the public without the proper classification and review.
To properly implement its rules and regulations, the IGRCB will coordinate with other government agencies such as the DepEd, DOJ, DSWD, CHED, PAGCOR, and the National Youth Commission.
Any entities that will defy a game’s IGRCB classification can be imprisoned for three months to a year or face a fine of not less than Php50,000 but not more than Php300,000, or both. Foreign violators will then be deported immediately after serving the sentence.
Meanwhile, internet cafes and related establishments will have their license to operate revoked instantly.
You can read the full bill here.