MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--With the enactment and continuous implementation of Republic Act No. 10173, also known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) said information collected from citizens shall be free-flowing while assured to be safe and secured.

In the latest conduct of the Data Privacy Act and Cybercrime Prevention Act Awareness Webinar of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)-12 and Mainland Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), NPC Policy Review Division’s lawyer Althea Therese Radovan emphasized that the Data Privacy Act is a 21st-century law intending to address 21st-century crimes and concerns.

She stated that this protects the privacy of individuals while ensuring the free flow of information to promote innovation and growth and balance between information privacy and the right to information, national security, and freedom such as freedom of the press, among others.

Radova stressed that this law is significant to maintain authority over shared information.

“If we lose our wallet, we lose money but, if we lose data, we lose control of ourselves. That is why it is important that we have our Data Privacy laws kasi [because] we get to control who we share our data to and what they do with our data,” she said.

Radova further stressed that on the part of those who desire to collect data, not at all times the Data Privacy Act can be used as a shield to opt not to give information as there are still criteria for the lawful processing of in-stored personal data.

“The Data Privacy Act is not a hindrance. Actually, it strikes a balance to secure your personal data collected by those institutions. It strikes a balance between the use of collection security and the protection of personal information. The Data Privacy Act assures that there is a free flow of information coming from one agency or person to another in a safe and secured way,” she said.

Radova outlined that the processing of information shall be adequate, relevant, suitable, necessary and not excessive in relation to a declared and specified purpose and personal data shall be processed only if the purpose of the processing could not reasonably be fulfilled by other means.

As such, she urged data collectors to not save unnecessary information for easy protection of those deemed important.

“Huwag mangolekta ng sobra lalo na kung hindi naman kailangan. Sabi nga, anumang sobra ay nakakasama. Minimize the data that you need to collect kasi kapag mas marami, mas mahihirapan tayong protektahan at isecure ito. Information overload could be detrimental,” said Radova.

[Do not collect excessively especially when it is not needed. As said, whatever is excessive is harmful. Minimize the data that you need to collect because the more it will be, the harder it is to protect and secure these. Information overload could be detrimental.]

The NPC firmly reiterated that if data will not be protected appropriately, suitable action shall be considered as there are penalties for non-compliance under the law. (CRG/PIA-Lanao del Sur)