The National Privacy Commission has launched the official website of the National Privacy Awareness Week 2019 (PAW), which will be celebrated on 25 to 31 May 2019.
According to a recent press release, the PAW is annually observed every last week of May in recognition of the need to inform and educate the public about data privacy, data protection and fair information rights and responsibilities.
National Privacy Awareness Week
This is part of reinforcing the efforts of the Commission in protecting personal data and ensuring the country’s compliance with international standards set for data protection.
Moreover, PAW is also aligned with the annual effort to raise privacy awareness across member countries of the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA), which include the Philippines.
This year’s theme, “Protecting the Digital Filipino: Accountability, Compliance & Ethics in a Data-driven Philippines”, emphasises the need to continually raise privacy safeguards.
National Privacy Commissioner Raymund Enriquez Liboro shared that in a disruptive era of digital transformation, a compliance-centric mindset among personal information controllers and processors would not be enough if the goal is to truly protect the digital Filipino.
Institutionalising a sense of accountability and ethics in the handling of personal data in the organisation is needed.
National Data Privacy Conference
A flagship event, called the 2nd National Data Privacy Conference (NDPC), is a two-day by-invitation only event in celebration of PAW 2019, which is expected to draw over 2,000 data privacy professionals.
The First Digital Data Governance for the Public Sector is a notable feature on the second day is this is a conference within a conference.
This is aimed at driving compliance of government offices with the Data Privacy Act and other laws relevant to the protection of the digital Filipino.
The NDPC wants leading stakeholders to better appreciate their leadership role in terms of compliance and the ever present need to enhance their skills.
The newbies, meanwhile, will have a chance to jumpstart their understanding of the DPA and the Commission’s rules and regulations.
It was in 2018 when NDPC was first introduced to the public in order to celebrate PAW.
How to celebrate PAW?
The report outlined five ways for organisations to celebrate the National Privacy Awareness Week. These are:
- Generate interest
- Cultivate the habit of privacy mindfulness at the workplace
- Take pride in their efforts to protect their customers
- emPAWer stakeholders by reminding them of their rights
- Spreading the word using the event hashtags
Aside from organisations, personal information controllers and processors are encouraged to actively engage their data subjects through the aforementioned ways.
Data subjects, on the other hand, may practice the Commission’s 30 Ways to Love Yourself Online.
OpenGov Asia earlier reported on the Privacy Awareness Week 2018. Last year’s theme was, “Protecting the Filipino’s Right to Data Privacy.
