Insider Spotlight
Through Online Alerto, PLDT Home is promoting responsible digital citizenship by helping Filipinos recognize online risks such as phishing scams, identity theft, misinformation, fraud, and harmful online behavior.
Launched in October 2022 as a Facebook community initiative, Online Alerto was created in response to the growing need for digital safety awareness in the country. It has since grown into a digital community where Filipinos can access educational content, practical online safety tips, and discussions on responsible internet use.
The community now has more than 77,000 members, reflecting rising public interest in online vigilance, digital well-being, misinformation, scams, and safer internet habits among Filipino families.
Digital risks
PLDT Home said conversations around connectivity can no longer focus only on speed, bandwidth, or coverage, as internet users must also learn how to protect themselves and engage responsibly online.
A 2026 TransUnion report showed that Filipinos remained more exposed to digital fraud than the global average. The Philippines’ suspected digital fraud rate reached 4.1 percent in 2025, higher than the global rate of 3.8 percent.
The study also found that 72 percent of surveyed Filipino consumers said they were targeted by digital fraud attempts through online platforms, email, phone calls, or text messages from August to December 2025. This was significantly higher than the global average of 53 percent.
The findings underscore the need for stronger public awareness and digital safety education to help Filipinos recognize, avoid, and report online threats.
Online community
Through Online Alerto, PLDT Home regularly produces educational and community-driven content designed to make online safety more accessible and relatable.
The platform shares practical tips on spotting scams, identifying misinformation, and practicing responsible social media behavior. It also hosts conversations on the real-life online experiences of public figures, creators, and young Filipinos.
Among its initiatives are Facebook Live sessions featuring personalities who discuss the realities of navigating digital spaces. Guests have included PLDT High Speed Hitters athletes Mika Reyes, Jessey De Leon, and Kiana Dy, who talked about online pressure, social media toxicity, public scrutiny, and healthy digital boundaries.
To date, the initiative’s Facebook Live sessions have drawn more than 25,000 attendees, showing growing interest in conversations on online safety, responsible internet use, and healthier digital behavior.
By opening these discussions to the public, Online Alerto aims to help younger internet users better understand the impact of their online actions and become more mindful digital citizens.
Shared responsibility
“As digital platforms increasingly shape how Filipinos live, learn, work, and transact, online safety must be embedded into the infrastructure that connects them,” said Menardo “Butch” Jimenez Jr., PLDT chief operating officer and chief technology officer.
Jimenez said the PLDT Group continues to strengthen cybersecurity, advance responsible artificial intelligence, and apply security-by-design across its networks.
He said the group uses a specialized child protection platform that automatically detects and blocks URLs linked to Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children, preventing billions of illicit access attempts.
“Beyond technology, we continue to work with various child rights organizations to promote child rights and online protection. For PLDT Home, true connectivity goes beyond access. It requires awareness, vigilance, and shared responsibility so Filipinos can engage online safely and with confidence,” Jimenez said.
Campus push
From January to March 2026 alone, the PLDT Group blocked 49 billion access attempts to malicious domains, prevented 1.4 billion cyber attacks and data breaches, and blocked 208,000 access attempts to OSAEC-related URLs and content.
These safeguards provide the technology backbone for Online Alerto’s broader mission of helping Filipino families become safer and more responsible digital citizens.
Beyond online conversations, PLDT Home is bringing digital safety education directly to students through Online AlerTour, an on-ground campus initiative conducted in partnership with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group.
The program tackles phishing scams, misinformation, identity theft, online fraud, and responsible social media behavior.
It aims to equip young Filipinos with the knowledge needed to become more vigilant and responsible digital citizens.
Online AlerTour has so far reached more than 500 students across Far Eastern University, Universidad de Manila, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines, with more campus activations in the pipeline.
As the country moves toward a more digitally connected future, PLDT Home said digital progress should be measured not only by how fast people can connect, but also by how safely and responsibly they navigate the online world. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
