By Gail Momblan/PNA
ILOILO CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) here has advised parents and teachers to closely monitor online activities of children, following the viral “Momo Challenge” that allegedly encourages children to commit violent actions.
Lawyer Fevi Fanco, Education Program Supervisor of DepEd-Iloilo, said the exposure of children to online violence is a “very serious” matter that parents and teachers should pay attention to.
“Kids, especially those at the very young ages, need to be monitored on the mobile applications they use and online videos they watch,” she said in an interview on Thursday.
Fanco admitted that students nowadays are “21st century learners” who need the internet for their studies.
With this, internet safety lessons are taught to students and are complemented with the department’s widespread advocacy campaign on its responsible use.
A DepEd order was also put in place to regulate students’ use of mobile phones and other gadgets during class hours and even inside the school premises.
“Some of the schools already practice the regulation of phones wherein students leave their gadgets at one specific place but we also understand that this regulation can hardly be sustained since gadgets are already considered important,” she said, referring to the role of gadgets in facilitating communication.
Currently, Fanco said the Division had not yet received any report on violence committed by children against fellow students encouraged by online content.
She advised teachers and parents to remain vigilant and report to the schools’ division superintendent when these cases surface.
She assured that every school in the province had a working Child Protection Committees, pursuant to DepEd No. 40.
“We have preventive measures, our guidance counselors. Values formation is also taught in the Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao subject,” she said.
“Momo Challenge” is allegedly a “deadly” messaging app which hounds the user with dares and violent images.
“Momo” features a woman with a ghoulish face, bulging eyes and gaping mouth.
