ANGARA STRONGLY PUSHES FOR CREATION OF ICT DEPT

During the Senate budget hearing for the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Finance Committee Chairman Senator Edgardo J. Angara reiterated his call for the creation of a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) which will be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, regulating and administrative entity of government for ICT development.

"Governments around the world are miles ahead of us in crafting policies and creating institutions for ICT growth, using various developmental approaches. In contrast, our country lacks a coherent, long-term policy for ICT development, as well as an agency that will implement the strategy. This is the rationale behind the proposed establishment of a Department of ICT (DICT)," he said.

As principal sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2546, Angara strongly believes that the creation of the DICT will be of strategic importance in sustaining the country's global ICT competitiveness. ICT enables economic growth and opportunity and allows other mission-critical sectors such as health and education to achieve their development targets. The Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004-2010 recognized ICT's significance as a tool for the delivery of public sector goods and services. On an administrative level, ICT is key to streamlining government bureaucracy, making services and processes more accessible, efficient, and transparent.

Angara, who chairs the Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), noted that the growth of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry and the country's mobile subscriber base are indicators that technology and information-based industries will define future economies. "At this point, when the entire world faces an economic crisis, the importance of these industries is not just a matter of dependence, but survival."

"Through the establishment of DICT, we hope to further promote ICT in the country as a tool to create jobs, improve government services, and empower Filipinos," said Angara.