00:00 Free Wi-Fi for all programs and various scams this Christmas.
00:04 Let's find out together with Assistant Secretary Renato Paraiso,
00:08 the spokesperson of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
00:13 Asset Paraiso, good afternoon and welcome to the new Philippines.
00:17 You're muted, sir.
00:24 [Speaking Filipino]
00:32 [Speaking Filipino]
00:34 Free Wi-Fi for all programs under the Universal Internet Subscription
00:39 for Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas Project.
00:43 How many access point sites are there in the country and from which regions?
00:50 [Speaking Filipino]
00:54 We have 11,771 access points scattered throughout all 12 regions, including Uambarm.
01:04 As of that, that's of December 15. Right now, it's around 12,000.
01:10 [Speaking Filipino]
01:17 So we can at least achieve this goal of 15,000 access points
01:24 so that our president can pass on the mandate of more connectivity for all Filipinos.
01:34 Okay, we know that the issue is the security of internet access in this time.
01:43 How can we secure this issue to avoid the entry of bad people like hackers?
01:50 Well right now, because of the recent spate of cyber attacks,
01:57 the government agencies have done a good job.
02:02 They improved their cybersecurity postures, they improved their systems,
02:06 they strengthened it with the help and guidance of DICT.
02:10 They are approaching DICT to conduct their vulnerability assessment and penetration test
02:19 to find out the level of their security, what they can improve on,
02:23 and what changes they can make to their systems.
02:26 Sir for 2024, aside from expanding access sites and free Wi-Fi connection,
02:33 what are your plans or projects for the online resources of our countrymen?
02:39 Well, that's a good question. Thank you for that question, Mr. Queng, for our viewers.
02:43 Apart from improved connectivity, we have also the digitalization of the bureaucracy through our E-Gov app.
02:50 It would streamline the processes of government so that it can be easier for our countrymen to transact
02:56 and to communicate with our government agencies.
03:01 Apart from that is the improved infrastructure of government.
03:04 We have already completed the Luzon bypass road that would connect Balear-Aurora to San Fernando-La Union.
03:12 That's our infrastructure. Within 2024, we would have our phase two and three
03:17 that would connect the northern part of Luzon to the Bisayas region.
03:23 Also, we have our improved cybersecurity. We do that through our upskilling, more trainings.
03:32 It was launched this year and hopefully we can improve on it.
03:37 Our hotline, especially during Christmas, against scammers, we have hired and improved through our ATTACH agency,
03:45 our friends in the CICC. We have hired cybersecurity professionals and people that can address immediately
03:54 the concerns of our countrymen who are being victimized by scamming.
03:58 In line with this, Asec, how is your surveillance in the so-called Christmas camps?
04:05 Have you identified and reported any suspects or leads in these, especially during Christmas?
04:12 There are many people who are buying online.
04:13 We are continuously monitoring the various government agencies, our law enforcement agencies,
04:20 especially with the PNP and the NDI through the DOJ.
04:24 We have many leads and we are talking about many people.
04:28 But it's still an ongoing investigation. That's why we hold our cards really close to our chest
04:34 so we can open up the sites and block the number, but also to prosecute these people that are behind these scams.
04:44 Sir, based on one statement, the Philippines has one of the highest scam rate in Asia.
04:51 What are your thoughts on this and how high is the scam rate in the country,
04:57 especially in online shopping because during Christmas, many people bought for their gifts.
05:03 If you ask me, the number is...
05:08 There are many things that I want to report on these online scams and the frauds committed by our countrymen.
05:16 In Southeast Asia alone, it's a $3 trillion industry.
05:21 We expect that many people will enter that industry.
05:25 In the government through the DICT, we are spreading rumors.
05:30 We call it the 12 scams of Christmas.
05:33 We are reminding our countrymen.
05:36 It's really a concept of educating our people.
05:39 I can attribute that to a couple of things.
05:43 One is, many of our countrymen are not yet educated when it comes to digitalization and the internet of things.
05:54 The DICT is continuously promoting to remind and train our countrymen to spread rumors and rumors to avoid scams.
06:04 Another thing is, again, it's a large industry.
06:09 We are warning that many people will enter that industry so that our countrymen will be fooled.
06:17 Sir, aside from what you're saying about educating our countrymen,
06:22 aside from that, they should be reminded because this is not new.
06:27 Over the years, since the pandemic, the usage of people on the internet has increased,
06:33 all online shopping has been done.
06:36 So many people are still fooled.
06:38 What is the best step that you think can be done,
06:43 not only by you, your agency, but also by our countrymen, to really stop this scam?
06:50 I want to remind everyone, thank you very much for giving us the platform and the opportunity.
06:56 I want to remind our countrymen to try to adopt our good cybersecurity hygiene.
07:02 How can we do that?
07:04 Constantly change your password.
07:06 The best practice is every three to six months, adopt strong passwords.
07:11 It's a bit complicated.
07:14 Don't use your personal information because that's what hackers use when they're getting our information,
07:20 to try to guess your password.
07:22 So try to mix it up every three to six months.
07:25 Adopt strong passwords.
07:26 Adopt multi-factor authentication.
07:28 Aside from the password, we have either facial recognition, biometrics, fingerprints,
07:36 or one-time passwords.
07:38 Try to avoid personal information as part of your passwords
07:43 because that information is being used to guess your password.
07:46 That would eventually lead to your financial access, access to your financial records.
07:52 And the most important thing is, if someone sends you a link, block and delete those links.
08:00 Don't notice those links because these links usually go to websites that would either be used for phishing
08:07 or more dangerously, it would be used to get money from you.
08:14 Those are good tips.
08:16 It's a paradise so that we, the countrymen, won't be scammed, especially this Christmas.
08:21 We have a question from Ian Cruz of GMA News.
08:25 Is there an intervention by DICT for the individual, group, and online sites that are being victimized by our countrymen?
08:36 There is.
08:38 Like what we mentioned earlier, DICT launched through the CICC.
08:43 It's a joint task force with the NBI and the PNP.
08:47 We call it hotline 13262.
08:51 Where the countrymen, whether it be groups or individuals can dial that hotline number and someone will answer.
08:58 A professional individual will be answering the phone lines on the other line and they would address your concerns.
09:04 Part of addressing those concerns is to record the data and try to...
09:10 Because these websites are paid websites, so we communicate with the paid websites to have these websites blocked.
09:18 But it's more important to remember that it's more important for us to answer these people.
09:23 So apart from blocking the websites, we are targeting these individuals to answer.
09:30 Sec, please message our countrymen this Christmas, especially those who have already been bought and scammed.
09:39 It's natural for us Filipinos to give Christmas gifts. It's not really a fault.
09:48 We should be alert and watchful.
09:52 Only go to the... because there are many social media sites now,
09:58 there are links and paid advertisements that would lead you to sites,
10:01 you might think of it as a shopping platform, but it's actually a scam site. So only buy from authorized and trusted platforms.
10:09 At the risk of plugging websites, you have your Shopee, Lazada, other marketing websites that we trusted.
10:19 Second is, they ask you to click a link that would ask for your information,
10:26 so you won't be scammed.
10:31 Their common is if you enter information, you would get discounts, you would receive packages.
10:40 Let's try not to entertain these sites anymore.
10:45 We will be careful and hopefully we can enjoy each and every one of us a fruitful holiday.
10:51 The most important thing is the gift of time and the gift of love in Christmas, not so much as the merrier things.
10:59 That's right. We should be careful, not excited, not afraid.
11:06 If we see something like this, that you have a debt or something, we will click.
11:10 We should have a presence of mind. Thank you very much for your time,
11:15 Assistant Secretary Bernardo Paraizo, the spokesperson of DICT.
