Appraisal of Senate Bill No.2965

"Data Privacy Act of 2011
An Act Protecting Individual Personal Information in Information and Communications System in the Government and the Private Sector , creatibg for this purpose a National Data ProtectionCommission and for other purposes.

With the advent of technology and the vital role of information and pcommunicationtechnology in nation building, the government has to keep up with the everchanging needs of its constituent

The new bill is designed to empower the citizen to protect their right and to improve the transparency of both public and private bodies. Data protection and freedom of information are complimentary rights.

The Philippines is a democratic society, and democracy functions best when people are well informed and are free to participate innpublic issues and have access to the wildest choice of information and solutions to problems and issues that affect them. This is enshrined in Sec. 7 Bill of Rights of our Constitution : Right to Information...
But for every right carries with it a corresponding obligation. Freedom is not Freedom from responsibility but Freedom with Responsibility.

It further reinforces our right to privacy. Sec. 15 of the proposed bill provides for the right of the data subject/individual to be informed whether an individual's data is being processed, to have access and to correct it. It also gives right to subject data to suspend, block, remove or destruct if information is incomplete, outdated, false. In addition, the proposed law also gives a right to be indemnified for any damages sustained due to such inaccuracies, outdated, false, unlawfully obtained or unauthorized use of personal information. Penalties imposed are also stiff and would in a way make one think twice before committing such offense.

The bill also setsforth limitations/exemptions. The positive effect of which is that personal privacy may not be used as justification to prosecute journalist who have published info of public interest regarding corruptions of public officials. It provided exemption to media, academe, artistic,and journalistic activities.

I really go for the passage of this bill for I have experienced having had a bad credit standing record and was embarassed in a bank only to know that its about a charge from my credit card which i have contested and was not a legitimate transaction. Just so happen that the manager was a friend of mine so she advised me write them a letter to rectify their records immediately.

This law will provide protection of individual's right and ensure data controller's obligation/responsibility that will send positive note to the international community and will strengthen our BPO industry.