DIFFERENT stakeholders of the tech industry in the Philippines have banded together to leverage on the power of technology to promote inclusive growth and development. Recently, the Alliance of Tech Innovators for the Nation (ATIN) was formally launched to bring together government, businesses and communities to form an enabling environment for innovation in the digital economy.
This public-private partnership was initiated to help achieve the projected economic growth of the country. The Philippines is the fastest-growing digital economy among major Southeast Asian nations in 2021. It is projected to create P5 trillion in economic value by 2030, according to a 2022 study released by Singapore-based economic consultancy firm AlphaBeta. The coalition has identified three actions that need to be taken to improve the lives of everyday Filipinos in the online economy: enhance digital skills training and education, accelerate digital adoption and innovation, and promote digital trade opportunities.
“Digitalization will foster inclusive growth where financial services become more accessible to the majority. A collaborative effort between the public sector, business stakeholders and MSMEs [micro, small and medium enterprises] will help to create a digital ecosystem that drives development, long-term employment, and inclusive growth in the country,” Monchito Ibrahim, lead convenor of ATIN and former undersecretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, said during the organization’s debut held at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
The kick-off event was the group’s first step to raise awareness on the state of the country’s digital economy, and the vital role of multistakeholder initiatives for its growth.
ATIN aims to foster alignment between the public and private sectors to coordinate efforts to drive greater digital economy participation among Filipinos, and to create an enabling policy and regulatory environment. It is also planning to host the ATIN Digital Economy Summit to sustain talks and bring nascent issues, policies and initiatives for the Philippine digital economy at the forefront of public discussions by reconvening thought leaders in tech, and policy and decision makers in government.
“ATIN aims to contribute its expertise in the tech space to shape regulations and legislation for inclusive digital growth and development. Following our launch event, the ATIN Digital Economy Summit 2023 will be a crucial next step to sustain multistakeholder dialogue to improve our digital infrastructure, assist MSMEs in adopting digital technology, and promote ease of doing business through technology, so we can build sustainable growth that will reach our communities,” Ibrahim added.