Gambling sites off limits to Cebu City Hall workers soon

Local

IF YOU’RE a Cebu City Hall employee, you’ll soon be cut off from online gambling sites and the VPNs that sneak around them.

The Cebu City Council on Tuesday, July 22, approved a resolution authored by Councilor Nyza Archival seeking to block access to all online gambling platforms and virtual private network (VPN) applications on internet connections provided by the city government.

The resolution also formally prohibits city government employees from engaging in any form of gambling, online or otherwise, during office hours.

“There is a growing concern regarding the misuse of government-provided internet connections to access online gambling sites and applications, which may lead to issues such as addiction, financial distress, moral decay, and decreased productivity,” the resolution stated.

The resolution directs the city’s Management Information and Computer Services (MICS) office to implement technical controls aimed at curbing online gambling.

These include blocking all identified gambling websites, domains, and applications, as well as restricting access to VPN software, browser extensions, and mobile applications across all government networks.

Furthermore, the resolution tasks MICS with regularly maintaining and updating a blacklist of gambling-related domains and VPN tools to ensure continued enforcement.

The approved policy also cited City Ordinance No. 2142, or the Cebu City Code of Ethics for Government Employees, which prohibits “engaging in all forms of usurious lending activities, gambling, lotteries and other similar acts during office hours or on premises.”

“The Cebu City Government must ensure that public resources, particularly digital infrastructure, are used ethically and responsibly, and that the workplace remains a space for public service, free from distractions and inappropriate activities,” the resolution read.

VPN applications, the resolution noted, are often used to “circumvent content restrictions and allow access to prohibited websites, including online gambling platforms,” making enforcement of gambling restrictions more difficult.

The council also backed the passage of the proposed

“Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025” by Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, which seeks to prohibit all forms of online gambling in the Philippines.

“All forms of gambling, including online gambling, are considered highly detrimental to workplace discipline, and government employees are expected to observe the highest standards of conduct and integrity,” the resolution added.

MICS is now tasked to roll out the necessary digital blocks across all internet connections, both internal office use and public-access Wi-Fi, managed by the Cebu City Government.

“Engaging in any form of gambling during office hours is a violation of public trust, disrupts work productivity, and may constitute administrative misconduct under civil service rules,” the resolution emphasized.(TGP)