PHL eyeing e-governance, cybersecurity cooperation with Singapore–DICT exec

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is exploring areas of digital cooperation with Singapore, particularly in e-governance and cybersecurity, a government official said.

DICT Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Foreign Relations Anna Mae Y. Lamentillo said she met with Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines Gerard Ho Wei Hong to “discuss further the areas of cooperation in relation to the memorandum of agreement [MOU] on digital cooperation, a first between the Philippines and Singapore.”

“We discussed with Ambassador Ho how we can implement this MOU and which areas we should focus on. Singapore has so much experience in the area of e-governance and cybersecurity and they can share with us their best practices on these areas,” she said.

She noted that the MOU with Singapore includes digital cooperation on digital connectivity, particularly in interoperable systems and frameworks that enable electronic documentation; cybersecurity, such as organizing training courses and technical programs through the Asean-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE) to develop and enhance skills related to cybersecurity; and digital government/e-governance, such as in the areas of digital government strategy, digital government services, and digital identity.

The memorandum also covers exchange of knowledge, technical expertise and best practices on measures relating to scam calls and scam short message services; on personal data protection; and in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, cloud computing, Internet of Things, big data, analytics and robotics; among others.

There will also be cooperation and exchange of knowledge to boost the digital innovation ecosystem, including connecting business owners with potential solution providers; exploring cooperation on digital capability and capacity building programs; and exchange of knowledge and best practices on digital infrastructure, Lamentillo added.