By Jeffrey Ian Dy
In his keynote speech at the 10th Annual Conference of the Visayas ICT Organization (VICTOR), last August 26, DICT Secretary Ivan Uy underscored the huge contribution of the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry in pushing the country’s ICT development and digital economy. The IT-BPM sector is the second largest contributor in the country’s economy in terms of revenue and employment. In 2021, a pandemic year, the sector posted a gross revenue of US $29.49 Bn. This is only US $2 Billion short of the OFW remittances which is at US $31Bn in 2021. Secretary Uy and the IT-BPM movers present in the conference are unanimous in predicting that the IT-BPM revenues can overtake that of OFW remittances within the 1st half of this decade. This is a welcome development because, unlike OFW work, BPO companies located in the Philippines provide more resilient jobs especially amidst global shocks such as the war in Ukraine. In fact, the sector is on target to add 1 million more Filipinos to its already 1.44 million work force in 2022.
Generating jobs and investment in the ICT sector is the primary goal of the Digital Cities 2025 Program. Formerly known as the Next Wave Cities Project, the program aims to expand the IT-BPM industry and to ensure decent employment and economic growth especially in the countryside. At the heart of this strategy is DICT’s citizen-centric and citizen-driven approach in strategy formulation. As part of this philosophy, the Department endorses and supports the multi-stakeholder council model such as that being promoted by the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP), the top-level organization for which VICTOR is a member of. Through these ICT councils, the DICT with the Local Government Units (LGUs) and other National Government Agencies (NGAs) aims to invite investments and to assist in developing Philippine digital policies that ensure an ICT-investment-friendly ecosystem. The councils can also help in conducting business matching, niche identification, and marketing sessions for municipalities that are part of the Digital Cities Program 2025.
Of course, Digital Cities can only thrive through a robust, reliable, fast, and affordable interconnectivity. The BroadBand ng Masa (formerly Free Wifi for All Project) and the implementation of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) will ensure that the development of the Digital Cities will be on target. Entry of new players such as Starlink, coupled with proper policies will ensure competition, lowering prices and improving services among telco providers. The currently enforced Common Tower Policy and the DICT’s public datacenters should lower the cost of entry to the capital-intensive telco sector.
As a testament to the Digital Cities 2025 Program and the key role being played by the ICT councils in ICT development, the 10th year conference of VICTOR, dubbed as VICTOR 10, was held in Boracay island, in Aklan. The province, now under the leadership of Gov. Jose Enrique Miraflo, was a Digital Governance awardee in 2019. The award, spearheaded by the NICP and DILG back in 2012, recognizes LGUs who rank among the best in ICT development in the country. The two-day event was hosted by veteran media personality Ms. Ces Orestes-Drilon. VICTOR is a member of the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines or NICP now chaired by Dr. Mary Joy Abueg and, among its cofounders, is the new DICT Undersecretary for Industry Development Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue. The conference was attended by governors from the Visayas region, private entrepreneurs, leaders in the various ICT councils including the booming IT creative industries (gaming, animation, etc.), the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP), and many others.
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About the author: Jeffrey Ian Dy is an Assistant Secretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). He has an MsC in Information Security from the Royal Holloway, University of London and studied BS Applied Physics at the University of the Philippines Los Banos.