Solon urges PNoy to create ICT Department

A legislator on Thursday urged the President to create the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in the hope of capitalizing on the country’s fastest-growing industry. “The emergence of new technologies is rapidly changing the world’s economic landscape and we need to be ready for it," said Taguig Rep. Sigfrido Tiñga as members of the House of Representatives approved a committee report on the substitute bill for creating the DICT. The approval of the bill brings the legislators closer to its goal to persuade President Benigno Aquino III to create a solid agency focused on developing IT and modern communication facilities At present, the promotion, development, and regulation of information communications technology (ICT) fall under the jurisdiction of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), an agency created in 2004 through Executive Order No. 269, signed by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. CICT chair Ivan John Uy lauded Tiñga’s move and explained that the transformation of the CICT into a full-fledged department will help develop more effective policies. Uy also said this will help in implementing government programs geared towards improving the country’s competitiveness in the field of information technology (ICT). In a privilege speech during a regular House session, Tiñga revealed that, based on the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2009-2010, the country lags behind other developing countries in terms of ICT competitiveness. Despite the Philippines being the second biggest market in the world for business process outsourcing and backroom operations, the Philippines ranked 85th in the survey. The country’s neighbors performed better with Singapore at 3rd, Malaysia at 27th, India at 43rd, Thailand at 47th, Vietnam at 54th, and Indonesia at 67th. “It’s not just improving our competitiveness ranking," Tinga said. “We need to recognize that ICT is an important catalyst for economic growth and job creation, a pre-requisite to parity in education, a necessity for good governance, a channel for a free and empowered media, and means for poverty alleviation." Since 2008, various bills have been filed both in the House and in the Senate to transform the CICT into an executive department. In 2008, Senate Bill No. 2546 was approved by the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, but failed to make it past Congress, as the latter adjourned its sessions early this year. — AY/PE/VS, GMA News