THE POWER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

CICT Director Trish Abejo (extreme right) shares CICT’s programs and projects during an interview with PIA information officers (L-R: Alma Ticang-PIA9, David Suyao-PIA13, and Bennie Recebido-PIA5).

Feature:

QUEZON CITY (January 20) – In an era when the power of information and communications affect all aspects of human being, there is no alternative but to harness the crucial role of the information, communication and technology (ICT).

The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) as the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, regulating, and administrative entity of the government’s executive branch for ICT development,  builds up the country to become a world-class ICT services provider, makes available government services to stakeholders online, provides affordable internet access to all segments of the population, develops an ICT enabled workforce, and creates an enabling legal and regulatory environment.

Commission on Information and Communications Technology Director Trish Abejo said that CICT for over six years now since its creation in 2004 by virtue of Executive Order No. 269 has focused on the four key areas of concern – the use of ICT in government, ICT in Education, ICT in infrastructure and ICT in industry.

So far, the highest component of CICT is the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO),” Abejo said.

Cyber Services

CICT gives development the digital shot-in the arm in moving to an ICT-enabled society.

“The BPO has remarkably contributed to the Philippine economy and has sparked employment rise with some 550,000 employees recorded as of 2010. Of these, call center has the highest number. We also noted animation as a fast growing industry,” said Abejo.

Through the cyber services centers, IT-BPO throughout the country will be connected.

The CICT has also been promoting the next wave cities. These are centers developed as alternative IT-BPO hubs, spreading industry benefits outside Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

“In Bacolod alone, some 15,000 workers have been employed under the next wave cities,” Abejo said.

eSkwela Project

The Human Capital Development Group of the CICT has partnered with the Department of Education’s Bureau of Alternative Learning System and local communities in establishing community-based e-learning center or eSkwela Centers that provide ICT supported learning systems for out-of-school youths and adults (OSYAs).

Abejo said that before, education was only confined to classrooms with formal structures and strategies employed. “But with the “eSkwela Project”, Filipinos were given the chance to have confidence to achieve their dreams,” she said.

eSkwela harnesses the powers of ICTs in education to broaden access to quality education of OSYAs who would like a new lease on life.

Success of the program is evident through the growing number of eSkwela sites which from a pilot run of four sites in 2006-2007, there are now 31 sites – by far the largest initiative of its kind in the country.

Pending DICT Bill

Back in 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created the CICT to become a transitory measure to the creation of a Department of Information and Communications Technologies (DICT), which is supposed to oversee all ICT-related programs, including legislation and implementation.

However the proposed law calling for the establishment of DICT has been pending in the national legislature for the past six years now.

According to Abejo, those who oppose the DICT bill said it would create additional bureaucracy that would further strain the country's limited budget.

However, she clarified that the DICT would not need any additional funding since it would be a single aggregator for all IT and communications government agencies.

Abejo also said that he problem with the CICT just being a commission, is that it can be easily be scrapped having been created by virtue of an executive order. “That is why, it is important that we establish a full-fledged ICT department,” she further added.

“The Philippines has overtaken India as Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) capital due to our fast growing number of call centers. It is time that the clamor for a DICT to be heard by the highest law-making bodies of this country. Other Asean governments heeded the call for an ICT department or ministry, and are now closing the gap on our hard-earned and much-valued ICT competitiveness, it is time that the clamor for a DICT be heard by our highest law-making body” she said.

DICT Bill will all be back to zero since it was not passed during the 14^th Congress, however, Abejo is optimistic that the bill will still be enacted into law, maybe not now, but in the very near future. (Bennie A. Recebido, PIA5-Sorsogon)