Iya Villania explains why she banned Roblox for her children

Iya Villania revealed that she has forbidden her children from using the online gaming platform Roblox.

In the latest episode of "Kami Ang Inyong Mga" podcast, she told fellow hosts Camille Prats and Suzi Abrera-Etrata that she did not think much of the game at first when her children first discovered it.

But she soon grew concerned about the content they were engaging with, specifically the character Sonic.exe, a horror version of Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Nung tiningan ko I was like, 'Bakit ganyan 'yung hitsura ni Sonic?' Para siyang demonyo na Sonic. Sonic na may red eyes tapos ganun 'yung ngipin," she said, gesturing the sharp jagged teeth of the character.

"I was thinking, 'Is this a normal character? Baka 'di ko lang 'to kilala.' So 'di ko lang masyado inisip. Hanggang sa they started getting scared at night kasi 'yung mga jumpscare."

That led her to put a stop to it because her children were already getting addicted to the game.

"I was like, 'Guys, wait up. Is this what you're playing? Is this what it's doing to you guys? Is it making you guys scared?'" she said.

"Their attitudes just changed. And parang when we take it away, they would get so upset. And s'yempre, they were much younger then so hindi pa nila ma-regulate at maintindihan. So basta 'pag tinanggal mo, nagwawala."

Iya, who is married to fellow Kapuso host Drew Arellano, said the game affected her eldest son Primo the most.

"I know Primo. He's such a sweet boy. And he's such a smart boy. So, when he was going through that, I was like, OK, this isn't sitting well with me," she said.

The mom of five said they decided to do a month-long gadget break for the family to address the issue. It was difficult at first and her children cried, but it got easier over time.

"After a month, or maybe even after two months, Drew and I were like, 'OK, you know what? We're gonna bring back the gadgets but we're taking away this game.' I felt so convicted about the game. It just felt demonic for me, Mars," she said.

Iya said she also heard a lot of stories about Roblox, which affirmed for her that taking it away from her children was the right thing to do.

She also pointed out the nature of Roblox as a gaming ecosystem where users can play games created by other users or build their own games.

"Also, the thing with that game is, magsawa lang sila sa isang game, lipat lang sila ng next. And because these games are made by people, these are worlds that people bring to life na mga fantasies nila," she said.

"So, malay natin kung anong mga fantasy ng mga ibang tao na 'yan that they make come true in these worlds. And then, they're introducing these children to them. So, I'm glad we took that game away."

Iya said Primo eventually understood why she no longer allowed him and his siblings to play Roblox.

"I'm sharing this story because I want some parents out there, if you feel convicted about a game that doesn't feel right to you, it's not too late to take it away. You can take it away," she said.

Earlier this year, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) considered a nationwide ban on Roblox over due to alleged illegal activities and child safety concerns. It did not push through.

Senator Risa Hontiveros also filed a resolution seeking to probe Roblox and other online games in order to implement effective regulations and risk-based safety measures to protect children.

Meanwhile, Roblox said they have "advanced safeguards and robust safety policies" in place within the platform and expressed their commitment to protecting their users.

Officials and representatives of the company previously met with CICC, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and other law enforcement agencies to discuss its safeguards, including stricter monitoring, reporting mechanisms, and age-appropriate content controls.

—MGP, GMA News