The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Social Welfare and Development (SWD) Learning Network encouraged students and teachers to become more responsible online users in the recently conducted Online Safety Forum in the University of Rizal System in Rodriguez, Rizal Province.

The said forum, attended by more than 300 university students and faculty members, discussed about the risks of social media and how it can be used for child pornography and cyber bullying.

Resource Person Edgar Marcial Briñas from the Department of Education encouraged the participants to be more cautious in visiting websites and engaging in chats with strangers. He gave examples of suspicious ads that may lead to pornographic sites and illustrated chat discussions that may lead to obscene content and conversations.

“We also need to be observant to the children’s activities in the Internet to prevent them from becoming victims of pornography and bullying,” said Briñas.

The SWD Learning Network is a group of individuals and agencies organized by the DSWD that provides capacity building programs and services to organizations and institutions engaged in poverty alleviation and social protection. The network aims to ensure quality delivery of SWD learning programs and services by establishing a venue for sharing expertise and resources on SWD practices.# With reports from BManalili