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Bill filed to stop minors from spending too much time in computer shops

House Bill No. 4740, also known as the “Internet Cafe Regulation Act“, has been filed at the House of Representatives which aims to protect the youth, especially minors, from online game addiction by regulating and limiting their access to computer shops and Internet cafes.

Authored by Valenzuela City 1st District Representative Win Gatchalian, the Bill aims to prevent minors from loitering or playing in computer shops and cafes during school hours and school days. It also wants to prevent minors from excessively playing on non-school days by limiting the time period they are allowed access to computer shops.

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According to the Bill, owners and managers of computer shops and Internet cafes are prohibited from admitting minors within school hours and during school days. Or from 7:00pm to 7:00am during weekends, holidays, cancelled school days, or during vacation.

However, minors can be allowed inside computer shops during schooldays but after school hours provided that he/she presents an I.D. and a written permit or clearance signed by the parent or either the school principal or teacher-in-charge. He/she is still not allowed inside the shop beyond 7:00pm unless accompanied at all times by a parent or legal guardian.

Establishments who violate the provisions of the Act will be penalized with fines of up to Php150,000 with possible revocation of business permit and license to operate, and closure of the establishment.

“How will the youth realize their role in nation-building when the excessive playing of video games in these establishments hinders their development and education? The youth will not be able to realize their potential when majority of their time is spent inside computer shops playing games instead of studying.” Gatchalian said.

Hit the source link below for the copy of House Bill No. 4740.

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51 Responses

  1. Avatar for budoy budoy says:

    anu mas gusto nila mas malulong ang mga bata sa droga at alak pag ka2roon ng anak kahit minor de edad palang kysa sa online gaming kc maiinip cla walang pg ka2abalahan kya ganyan nlng mgya2ri lalong worst ang buhay ng mga tao

  2. Avatar for kakashi kakashi says:

    PUTANG INA? PANO NMAN MGA BUSSINES?? MGA BOBO LANG ANG SUSUNOD SA WALNG KWENTANG BILL NA YAN!! dami ang gastos para lang maka pag open ng maliit bna netshop tas ganyan? mga walang kwenta, dami daming mas mahalagang issue ang kelangan nilang atupagin. putang ina nio!

  3. Avatar for :D :D says:

    this is stupid, its like being in china :DD

  4. Avatar for rex royo rex royo says:

    wag iboto bobo eh! sa pc gaming ba ang problema? paano ang mobile gaming? Okay naman na may batas na ganyan pero ayusin nya.Gumawa muna sya ng studies abt that, sa ibang bansa nga may kurso na nga ng Lol at Dota

  5. Avatar for imagi imagi says:

    simple solution on the part of parents who do not want their kids to play computer games: don’t give them money.
    no money, no renting of computer.
    no renting, bawas kita ng computer shop.
    bawas kita ng computer shop, magsara na lang.

    yan ba ang gusto ng mga computer shop owners sa pagbibintang sa mga magulang as being irresponsible parents?

  6. Avatar for Brickstone Brickstone says:

    “How will the youth realize their role in nation-building when the excessive playing of video games in these establishments hinders their development and education? The youth will not be able to realize their potential when majority of their time is spent inside computer shops playing games instead of studying.” Gatchalian said.

    ^ – Too Lame excuse another useless law.. – Answer obviously parent should guide their sons and daughters on doing the right thing. By providing internal discipline showing them the correct way on using their time either playing PC or doing other stuff entertaining them.

    kek says:
    February 24, 2015 at 6:33 pm
    -1

    I don’t see any good reasons why the government should support ESports.
    – ESports isn’t considered as an official sport.
    – The career of an ESport athlete is short lived.
    – It promotes gaming as a career which is bad.
    – It doesn’t help the economy as much as people with REAL careers.
    – No, just no.

    ^ – Your so ignorant
    – How do you consider a game, a sport? Did Basketball start being a sport? Or maybe catching frisbee?
    – The career of Esport players are most likely same as the one who is competing on the Olympics. It depends if someone is better than you enter the stage. That’s what basically competition are for.
    -So would you rather promote selfishness, drugs, lying on couch watching TV and other sort of weird things? Have you any idea that pc gaming promotes teamwork (same as basketball), exercise still minds by developing strategies (same as Chess, Coaching & sort), Provide user general knowledge (More like watching Nat Geo, Discovery Channel and Others).
    – So tell me how much a single employee contribute on the economy, what if he is only a minimum wage employee (tax excempt). Ask a computer shop owner how much he / she pays annually just to cover or by establishing business, how much tax is he / she paying annually? Esport is develop within the scope of this foundations. Have you ever ask how many employee had been hired yearly by developing such small businness and also by implementing Esport in a certain location? Do you know how much is the amount money involve in a Esport business? Did you know that the shop owners and Esport business help the current communication business keep everything up to date?
    – Your just plain stupid, saying big things without any facts or context to support your claims.

  7. Avatar for Albert Wesker Albert Wesker says:

    So this is what democracy is like in the Philippines. It’s the duty of the parents to stop their kids from playing too much games.

  8. Avatar for Mr A Mr A says:

    Why do we have to go against the trend? Just support the ESports trend and have the government support it. That way, kids can make use of their skill at the same time earned something for it. Plus being a legal sport put discipline and responsibility for that person and accountability for the team or people that person is in.

    ESport is a thing like any other sports out there. If they are skilled in playing games, might as well support them to their strengths.

    • Avatar for kek kek says:

      -1

      I don’t see any good reasons why the government should support ESports.
      – ESports isn’t considered as an official sport.
      – The career of an ESport athlete is short lived.
      – It promotes gaming as a career which is bad.
      – It doesn’t help the economy as much as people with REAL careers.
      – No, just no.

  9. Avatar for someguy someguy says:

    Most practical solution here is make the most use of existing libraries or build more of them. Then doon maglagay ng mga PCs for educational purposes. At least may nag momonitor ng maigi di katulad ng mga kalye shops na mga walang pakialam.

    When it comes to game addiction, that I don’t know how to solve.

    I admit na may kagandahan ang bill na ito para yung mga bata eh mabawas bawas ang exposure sa mga ganitong bagay. Pero not sure how to execute…

    • Avatar for Cool Cool says:

      Agree! The intention of the bill is good… I just hope that they would find an effective way to implement it

  10. Avatar for asterisk asterisk says:

    pagnagkataon maraming computershop ang magsasara.

  11. Avatar for pkj pkj says:

    Bago yan, yung internet muna, ang bagal e tas ang mahal pa.
    Kaya din natututong mag mura yung mga bata sa internetshop kase sa sobrang bwiset na tuwing nag didisconnect sila sa kalagitnaan ng laro sa sobrang bagal ng internet

    • Avatar for imagi imagi says:

      hindi ba bibilis lalo ang internet dahil liliit na ang bilang ng mga customer na menor de edad? mababawasan ng congestion sa area na maraming computer shops. eh notorious pa ang mga computer shops na residential line lang ang gamit. go lang sa bill na eto para bumilis ang internet.

  12. Avatar for wut wut says:

    Eh kung yung mismong mga games ang ipagbawal?
    pero cge push nyo yang house bill 4740 lalona’t aalisan nyo ang mga kabataan ng pantakas sa realidad baka mamulat ang mata ng mga kabataan sa mga kalokohang pinag-gagagawa ng ating gobyerno

  13. Avatar for carloxy carloxy says:

    sa mga nagsasabi ‘fix the education system’ first? sa tingin nyo ba yung mga adik sa compshop na bata eh may pake ganu kaganda pa ang education system just in case maimprove nga? putulin ang kaadikan LARO lang yan eh -_-

  14. Avatar for :-) :-) says:

    EPIC FAIL!!!! babagsak ang negosyo kapag naipasa yan

  15. Avatar for Herp Derp Herp Derp says:

    Regarding minors during school hours… we already do that… kilala na nga namin lahat ng patrons namin…

    Regarding the 7pm curfew though, it’s too much. at least man lang 8 or 9pm. The average high-school student gets out at 6pm be it from a private or a public school after extra curricular activities. Limiting PC rental usage into just an hour limits their time for both assignments/projects and recreational activities requiring internet/computer access.

    Don’t require parents/guardians to stay with their children just to go to PC rental establishments. It would cause unnecessary strain for all parties involved. If this must be applied at least just enforce it during school days BUT not on weekends and vacations. The youth has the right to choose how to spend their time for recreation. As long as the minors have their parents consent my opinion is that they should at least be allowed until 9pm during weekends and vacations.

    Here’s one suggestion: Require shops to provide land-line numbers which parents can call so that they can monitor the whereabouts and status of their children. In our case, we already encourage giving our land-line number to the parents of our patrons just in case they want to confirm/check on whether their kids are in our shop. Also they call if ever they want their kid back home and can tell us to forcibly stop the rental time of the kid so that they’re easily persuaded to go home.

    You can even suggest that as long parents bring their children into an establishment (PC rental) they can leave them there and later pick them up at their own convenience. Some of our patrons’ parents already do that even.

    Having patrons requires a bond of trust between the shop owner and the customers. In the case of PC rental and the minors who frequent their shop, this bond of trust should extend to their parents. This way shop owners can actually have the capability to enforce restrictions on the minors not because they have the noose hanging around their neck (the threat of permit revocation/fines) but because it has become their responsibility as a member of the community and as a good citizen who values the rights and burdens of the youth.

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