House approves DICT bill on second reading

The House of Representatives approved on second reading on Wednesday its version of a bill that proposes the creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology or the DICT. Under the country’s legislative process, the nitty-gritty of a proposed law, such sponsorship and debate, as well as amendments and voting, are done during the second reading. The committee report on the bill creating the DICT, which has been approved in a joint hearing of the Committee on Government Reorganization headed by Zamboanga representative Ceasar Jalosjos and the Committee on ICT chaired by Taguig representative Sigfrido Tinga, was also adopted during the stage. A similar version of the bill is also currently pending in the Senate. Both chambers must pass the bill in order for it to become a law. According to Jocelle Batapa Sigue, chair ‎of the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP), the DICT is crucial in the country’s ICT future as this will put the Philippines back to the Asean ICT Masterplan 2015 where Asean countries commit to help each other under the premise that ICT is a key engine for growth. “A strong comeback after a major setback is the creation of a Department of ICT. That is the greatest news we can report in the October 24-25, 2011 Asean ICT Dialogue to be held in Manila," Batapa Sigue said. Earlier, Tinga called on his House colleagues to approve the measure, saying an executive department for information and communications technology (ICT) is needed by the country to capitalize on the gains of the industry. Last month, Senator Edgardo J. Angara also spoke at the Senate plenary hall to formally introduce the DICT bill in the upper chamber. During the Angara’s sponsorship speech, the Department of Science and Technology also announced that it was no longer opposing the creation of the DICT. It was not clear, however, if the agency was supporting the passage of the bill. — Newsbytes.ph