CICC defines future-proof governance through cybercrime awareness
Public education and partnerships drive cyber resilience
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is intensifying efforts to future-proof governance by expanding public awareness and strengthening collaboration across sectors, as cyber threats continue to rise in the Philippines.
In an interview at the GovMedia Summit 2026, Robert S. Paguia, JD, MPM, Chief of the International Cooperation on Cybercrime Division (ICCD) and Data Protection Officer (DPO), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, said the agency’s priority is to equip citizens with the knowledge to detect and prevent cybercrime.
“Future proof governance means being able to deliver on our mandates that is to help people to be aware on how to identify red flags on cyber crimes,” he said.
With cybercrime becoming more prevalent, the CICC is focusing on education as a key tool for public value creation. “To make people aware that cybercrime is a prevalent thing that is happening right now, and to help them to be able to equip the people themselves to know how to identify, really, what are cyber crimes, and how to prevent these cyber crimes,” Paguia said.
He added that direct engagement remains critical in raising awareness. “I go out of my way to really educate people, because I want them to really know what are the dangers and risks of cyber crimes,” he said.
Beyond awareness, the agency sees collaboration as central to improving competitiveness and resilience in the digital economy. Cybercrime cuts across industries, requiring coordinated responses beyond government alone.
Instead, the CICC is pushing for a unified approach. “There should be a unified action between these two sectors, the public and the private sectors, so that we could really stop all these that are happening right now,” he said.
The agency’s strategy underscores a broader governance shift, where citizen education and institutional coordination are treated as core defences against digital risks. As cyber threats grow more complex, the Philippines faces increasing pressure to strengthen both awareness and cross-sector cooperation to safeguard its digital ecosystem.
