
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda has vowed to push for the passage of the long-delayed Magna Carta for IT Professionals, saying government information and communications technology (ICT) workers deserve better pay, benefits, and professional recognition.
“Ito naman ang commitment ko sa inyo (This is my commitment to you): if you help me, help the DICT—all the way and as quickly as possible in your respective agencies—I will work tirelessly to get the Magna Carta for IT Professionals passed,” Aguda told ICT officials and employees during a strategic planning session on public financial management systems and the Medium-Term ICT Harmonization Initiative.
The proposed Magna Carta, he said, is crucial to the Marcos administration’s digital transformation agenda, stressing that the people behind the systems are the real drivers of change.
“A lot of people have this misconception that transformation is largely about technology. It is not. Technology is an enabler, it is a tool—say 10 percent technology, 10 percent processes, but 80 percent of it is people,” said Aguda.
“If digital is the future and information is the new oil, then we need the Magna Carta,” he went on.
The DICT chief underscored that investing in the ICT workforce is key to improving public service delivery and government efficiency.
Also, Aguda urged agencies and stakeholders to embrace “digital bayanihan” to ensure that no Filipino is left behind in the country’s digital shift.