House panel OKs bill amending Data Privacy Act

MANILA – A measure seeking to address data privacy challenges and cross-border data processing concerns by amending the current Data Privacy Act has hurdled committee level at the House of Representatives this week.

The House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, chaired by Tarlac Rep. Victor Yap, approved the unnumbered substitute bill to House Bills 1188 and 5612.

Deputy Speaker Michael Romero, one of the authors of the bill, said the bill seeks to foster protection for individual personal information in information and communications systems in the government and the private sector by providing stiffer provisions, rationalizing all existing rules and regulations, as well as creating a more effective and sufficient data privacy scheme.

The bill seeks to increase the imprisonment period and fines for unauthorized processing and accessing of personal information and sensitive personal information and improper disposal and concealment of security breaches involving personal information and sensitive personal information.

The criteria for lawful processing of personal information stated in the bill are: (1) consent from the data subject, (2) necessary for medical purposes, and (3) needed for public interest in the area of public health or humanitarian emergencies, among others.