TikTok launches #ThinkTwice Family Guide for Filipino families
TikTok launches the #ThinkTwice Family Guide in the Philippines, built with child rights groups to help Filipino families build trust and safer digital habits — available in-app and for download.
TECHLIFE
8/12/20264 min read
TikTok unveiled the #ThinkTwice Family Guide in the Philippines, developed with Child Rights Coalition-Asia, Child Rights Network, and Plan International Pilipinas to help families build healthier and safer online habits together. (L-R): Yves Gonzalez, Public Policy Head for the Philippines, TikTok; Amihan Abueva, Regional Executive Director, Child Rights Coalition Asia; Sheila Estabillo, Program Manager, Plan International Pilipinas
MANILA, Philippines — TikTok has officially launched on August 11 the #ThinkTwice Family Guide in the Philippines, part of its push to help teens and families navigate the digital world with more confidence and awareness.
Unveiled at the #ThinkTwice Troop Townhall in celebration of International Youth Day, the guide was developed with Child Rights Coalition-Asia, Child Rights Network, and Plan International Pilipinas. It includes conversation starters, reflection activities, digital safety tips, and information on TikTok's in-app tools that support healthier online habits. It's meant to complement TikTok's 50 preset safety and privacy features for teens and its Family Pairing tools. Families can find it by searching "Think Twice" on TikTok, which leads to the #ThinkTwice Digital Check-In Hub, where the full guide is available to view and download.
"For many families today, digital life is no longer separate from everyday life — it's where young people learn, socialize, create, and discover who they are," said Yves Gonzalez, public policy head for the Philippines at TikTok. "That's why building healthier digital habits requires more than rules alone. It requires open conversations, mutual understanding, and practical tools that families can explore together. Through the #ThinkTwice Family Guide, created in partnership with Child Rights Coalition-Asia, Child Rights Network, and Plan International Pilipinas, we hope to support Filipino families with practical resources that make those conversations feel more approachable and relevant."
Undersecretary Angelo Tapales of the Council for the Welfare of Children stressed that young people should be treated as partners in digital safety, not just as people who need protecting. "Young people are not merely recipients of protection. You are active participants in creating safer digital spaces. Your voices matter, and they should continue to inform our policies, programs, and initiatives that shape our digital experiences," he said. "Digital parenting is not about knowing every application or monitoring every click. Hindi po sila [the parents] mga security guards or police ng digital spaces. Rather, it's about building trust, maintaining open communication, and creating an environment where teens feel safe to ask questions, seek guidance, and report concerns."
Bringing teens and families to the center of digital safety
The event's first panel, "Empowering Teens to Build Safer Digital Habits," featured teen advocates Bea Vicente and Jhasper Galleza of Plan International Pilipinas alongside Charles Dwayne Sicad of the Council for the Welfare of Children. Drawing on their own experiences, they underscored the need to equip young people with the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices online — while making sure they still have trusted adults to turn to when problems come up.
A second panel turned the conversation toward adults, bringing together Sheila Estabillo of Plan International Pilipinas, Amihan Abueva of Child Rights Coalition Asia, developmental and behavioral pediatrician Dr. Francis Dimalanta, and veteran broadcaster and parent-creator Kuya Kim Atienza to discuss how families and communities can build the trust young people need as they gain more independence online.
Plan International Pilipinas framed digital safety as a shared responsibility, not something parents or children should carry alone. "For parents, our goal is not to become technology police. We don't need to know every app or every trend. What matters more is becoming a trusted digital guide — someone your teen can turn to when something uncomfortable or confusing happens online," Estabillo said. "Our ultimate goal here is not to remove teens from the digital environment, but to equip them with the necessary practical skills, so they can safely navigate the online environment safely, critically, and responsibly."
Child Rights Coalition Asia's Abueva echoed the point, noting that trust has to exist before the digital conversation even starts. "If you have developed a good relationship with your teen, where they feel comfortable, hopefully that extends when they enter the digital world," she said.
Atienza pointed to generational gaps in how young people communicate. "Teens nowadays are different. We just have to accept, as parents, that teens are different, and we have to speak their language," he said. "We just have to listen without judging and meet them where they are... We will not be able to meet them where they are if we're not on social media."
Dr. Dimalanta offered parents a simple framework, the TEEN acronym: put Teens first; Establish daily routines, which he said carries strong clinical backing since adolescent sleep patterns are already fragile; support Emotional regulation, rather than telling a crying teen to stop; be Now, or fully present; and Spark a conversation by creating natural openings for dialogue.
Experts and personalities from various sectors gathered to share insights on how families can build the trust and open communication young people need as they gain greater independence online.
From left: Sheila Estabillo, Program Manager, Plan International Pilipinas; Amihan Abueva, Regional Executive Director, Child Rights Coalition Asia; Dr. Francis Dimalanta, developmental and behavioral pediatrician, and Kuya Kim Atienza, veteran television host, educator, and parent creator; Bea Bautista, Communications Lead for the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia at TikTok
Building healthier digital habits together
Teen accounts on TikTok come with more than 50 preset safety features, including private accounts, content restrictions, and a default 60-minute daily screen time limit. The #ThinkTwice Family Guide is designed to work alongside TikTok's existing Safety Center resources, including the Guardian's Guide and Teen Safety Center, giving Filipino families a localized tool for setting healthy digital boundaries together.
The guide is available for download through the TikTok #ThinkTwice Digital Hub, or in-app by searching digital safety-related terms.