Every June, the Philippines celebrates National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) month, as mandated by Proclamation Number 1521, Series of 2008. During this month, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) brings to light their efforts in working with the government to further the digital transformation in the country.
To cap off National ICT month, DICT hosted a webinar titled “Future of the ICT industry in the country.” In line with this year’s theme of “Onwards Through ICT: Building a Stronger Philippine Digital Economy”, the webinar featured the efforts of telecom leaders such as Globe Telecom CEO Ernest Cu, PLDT CEO Alfredo Panililo and Converge CEO Dennis Uy in collaboration with the DICT and the government to further push the digital transformation of the Philippines.
According to House of Representatives Speaker Allan Velasco, the pandemic “accelerated our dependence on communication technology” as it became our only avenue of communication that remained unaffected. This was further supported by DICT Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II who said that the current circumstances of the world cemented the fact that ICT is going to be the backbone of the economy moving forward.
“Every year, new ICT developments are born out of the needs of the present and a vision for a more inclusive and sustainable future. With the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic last year, new needs have emerged, needs that are massively dependent on maximizing the use of ICT to thrive in the new normal,” he said.
However, this sudden shift to a more digital economy may put less fortunate Filipinos at risk of being left behind. A Dataportal study revealed that only 73.91 million out of the 109 million total population have access to the internet, which leaves close to 36 million Filipinos who may be left behind in the new normal.
In order to address this, the DICT adopted the CHIP framework, which stands for Connect, Harness, Innovate, and Protect, along with the formulation of a five-year connectivity plan that will further connect more Filipinos to the digital landscape. During his presentation in the webinar, DICT Undersecretary Emmanuel Caintic stated that they aim to build a shared infrastructure that is “fast, affordable and reliable” to fully utilize the digital tools that are given to us. They also shared that they will be working closely with local government units (LGUs) and telecom providers to make this a reality.
“Pursuant to Executive Order 138, the LGUs shall be given enough resources to build their digital infrastructure in their respective localities,” he said.
In addition to this, the DICT will also be implementing their Free Wifi for All program, which will allow Filipinos from all walks of life to access the internet.
“We aim to continually provide everyone with internet access and digital opportunities that will allow you, your family, and the larger Filipino community to thrive. As we grow more empowered with connectivity, let us work together towards building a globally and digitally competitive nation,” declared Caintic.