As the Philippines accelerates its digital transformation, protecting sensitive government information has become increasingly critical. Globe Telecom welcomed the issuance of Executive Order No. 119 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., describing it as a significant step toward strengthening the country’s cybersecurity, safeguarding national interests, and building greater trust in digital government.
Signed on July 13, EO 119 establishes an updated government data classification system and introduces residency requirements for highly sensitive government information, ensuring that top secret and secret government data remain within Philippine jurisdiction while providing clear safeguards for the use of cloud technologies for other classifications of government data.
Globe said the executive order recognizes the realities of today’s digital economy, where governments must balance innovation and cloud adoption with national security, resilience, and public trust.
“Executive Order No. 119 is a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey. It provides a clear, risk-based framework that protects our most sensitive government information while allowing agencies to continue harnessing modern digital technologies responsibly,” said Atty. Vicente Froilan Castelo, General Counsel at Globe.
As governments around the world expand digital public services and adopt cloud computing and artificial intelligence, safeguarding sensitive public sector information has become a national priority. Cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, public institutions, and essential services continue to grow in both scale and sophistication, making clear governance over government data more important than ever.
“Digital transformation succeeds only when people trust that government systems are secure,” said Carl Cruz, President and CEO of Globe. “The executive order strengthens that trust, ensuring sensitive government information receives the highest level of protection while allowing agencies to modernize responsibly. This is an important pillar on the road to becoming a digital nation.”
According to Globe, EO 119 comes at a time when governments worldwide are strengthening cybersecurity as digital public services, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence become increasingly central to governance. As cyber threats continue to target critical infrastructure and public institutions, clear policies on how sensitive government data is stored, processed, and protected have become more important than ever.
The company said EO 119 provides that clarity by establishing data classifications, residency requirements, and security controls that help government agencies and their private sector partners securely adopt cloud technologies while protecting information critical to national security and essential public services.
Globe noted that the Philippines joins countries such as Australia, Singapore, India, and members of the European Union in adopting governance frameworks that balance innovation with strong data protection. These measures have enabled governments to modernize public services while strengthening cybersecurity, resilience, and public trust.
Globe believes EO 119 positions the Philippines to build a more secure and trusted digital ecosystem, and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the government’s digital transformation agenda through secure connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity, and trusted digital infrastructure that meet Philippine regulations and globally recognized security standards.
“Trust is the foundation of every digital interaction,” Castelo added. “As more government services move online, protecting sensitive public sector data becomes essential to maintaining public confidence. EO 119 provides the governance needed to help agencies innovate securely, strengthen resilience, and deliver digital services that Filipinos can trust.”
