Facebook launches ‘Digital Tayo’ program in the Philippines

Facebook, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and civil society partners launched Digital Tayo, a nationwide digital literacy program.

The Digital Tayo program is the local adaptation of Facebook’s recently launched “We Think Digital”, a global digital literacy program. The program’s learning modules are designed to equip Filipinos with skills, including the ability to think critically about what they see online, how to communicate respectfully and engage in digital discourse. It will also tackle internet privacy, safety, and security.

Facebook and its partners from government, civil society groups, and communities aim to conduct online and in-person training sessions for a million Filipino netizens by the end of 2020. Topics that will be covered include privacy, safety, security, digital discourse and knowing your digital footprint, organized in four modules:

• What Is the Internet? An explanation of the internet and social media, how they work, and the importance of digital citizenship.

• Your Digital Footprint: All you need to know about safety and security online and managing your digital footprint.

• Be a Critical Thinker: Helping you to discern different types of information and develop critical thinking and empathy when communicating online.

• You as a Digital Citizen: Insights into digital discourse and the differences between interacting online versus offline, your rights and responsibilities, as well as internet concepts like netiquette, being a creator, copyright and plagiarism.

These modules will be rolled out in the coming months to students and youth leaders in partnership with DepEd, to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) through OWWA, to local communities through the Department of ICT, and in training programs to be mounted by Facebook’s partners from civil society.

“Digital literacy has traditionally focused on helping people learn to use computers, get jobs, or access information from the Internet. But there is a greater need to consider how we are plugging into a global community and connecting with people, not just information. Digital Tayo is more than digital literacy. It’s about ‘digital citizenship’. It is designed to help Filipinos with vital skills such as critical thinking, empathy, and being adept at using tools for online safety and well-being,” said Clair Deevy, Facebook’s Director of Community Affairs for the APAC Region.

To learn more about Digital Tayo and its modules, log on to https://digitaltayo.fb.com/.