Senator Robin Padilla described today’s generation of young people as “weak,” saying they are different from those who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s when the term “depression” was not widely used.
Padilla made the remarks on Wednesday while opening a hearing of the Senate committee on public information and mass media, which he chairs, on proposed measures including the Children’s Safety in Social Media Act.
“Ang mga bata po ngayon sad to say, wag kayong magagalit sakin — nako, maraming batang magagalit siguro — pero pasensya na kayo… you are weak,” Padilla said.
He compared the current generation to his own, saying children during his time were not “crybabies” because they learned life lessons from the streets and were taught not to simply sit and cry.
“Noong panahon namin di uso yung salitang ‘depression.’ ‘Di ko nga alam yun e, kung ano yung depression.. ngayon batang maliit sasabihin, ‘I’m depressed.’ Magulo,” he added.
Padilla also raised concerns about what he described as growing addiction to social media among young people. The issue, he said, prompted several lawmakers—including himself—to file bills seeking to regulate or potentially ban minors’ access to social media platforms, similar to measures adopted in some countries.
During the same hearing, representatives from Meta Platforms addressed the proposed measures. Berni Moestafa, head of Meta’s public policy for Indonesia and the Philippines, said the company understands the concerns but does not believe a total ban is necessary.
“We do understand the concerns,” Moestafa said. “We do think that the need for ban is not there given that the children have a right to access digital platforms. However, we want to make sure that they are protected.”
“So balancing the rights for digital participation and safety becomes a priority for us to make sure that children, especially children and above 13 have the rights to participate and be a voice on platforms,” she added.
Meta also told the committee that safeguards and protective measures are already being implemented on its platforms to enhance online safety for minors.
