Marcos to ASEAN leaders: Equip youth with digital resilience

KUALA LUMPUR — The ASEAN leaders must equip the youth with digital resilience amid challenges in the technological space, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said Monday.

During the ASEAN Leaders' Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Youth, Marcos said, ''We must therefore equip our youth with digital resilience that will enable them to navigate online spaces with a critical lens and to use technology to amplify their voices and contributions to ASEAN's regional growth.''

Marcos pointed out that in the rapidly-changing world that is driven by technology, there have been challenges such as online scams, cyberbullying, misinformation, disinformation and the potential for abuse and misuse of artificial intelligence.

''Fostering a collaborative dynamic amongst our youth can only bring significant developments to our region,'' the President added.

He said that as ASEAN leaders, they must deliver the emphatic message that ''as we equip our youth and our peoples with tools for resilience, we must at the same time work together for the protection of our environment from further damage and from harm.''

Marcos said ASEAN should continue to create avenues for the youth to flourish with a shared vision for the future of the regional bloc, while charting the path to a sustainable future.

''We must always work together as partners towards a common goal, to uplift and realize the true and ultimate potential of ASEAN for all our peoples,'' Marcos said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News