Senator Win Gatchalian is mulling to file a bill in the Senate to ban phone use for students in schools. In a report by ABS-CBN News, Gatchalian seeks to do such thing as he noticed the growing trend of students getting addicted to smartphone usage, so much so that they are even using it inside their classrooms. His new bill, he says, will only cover basic education students.

“Isa rin sa mga observation, hindi lang dito sa atin ha, pati sa ibang bansa. Marami sa ating mga bata, talagang nalululong na sa paggamit ng cellphone. Even dun sa loob ng classroom,” Gatchalian said.

“Dapat nagbabasa sila pero nanonood ng YouTube, nanonood ng Tik Tok. Pinag-aaralan ko ngayon yung i-ban na yung sa mga bata lang, yung paggamit ng cellphone sa loob ng classroom at sa loob ng school hours,” he said during Thursday’s “Kapihan sa Senado” news forum.

Instead, Gatchalian wants to replace phone use with reading, as he files another bill seeking to create a “National Reading Month.” “Lahat ng mga ahensya na may kinalaman, at mga institusyon, tumulong na maghikayat na magbasa ang bata… yung mga bookstores hinihikayat nating magbigay din ng discounts, kasi kailangan ding bumili ng libro,” Gatchalian said.

Senator Robinhood Padilla, also in the forum, backed Gatchalian. “Kaming mag-asawa, hirap sa anak namin lahat na magandang libro binibili namin. Ang kalaban mo laptop, tablet, cellphone. Ang pinakamaganda, ang libro pwede download sa tablet,” Padilla said. “Ang physical na libro ‘pag pinilit sa bata; hirap na hirap kami kasi iba ang panahon ngayon. Gadget ang kalaban natin.”

Studies have consistently shown that Filipinos are glued to their devices, a 2023 study revealed we spend nearly a third of our day on mobile phone activity on average, with another study revealing children spending 82 hours a month.