THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) wants to work with 65 local government units (LGUs) this year to promote rural impact sourcing (RIS).
DICT Undersecretary Monchito Ibrahim yesterday said the agency has secured an additional P50 million to run the program this year, which can produce some 1,625 graduates.
Last year, the agency sealed a partnership with 26 LGUs with P22 million, for 534 RIS graduates.
One of its successful LGU-partners is Bogo City, which produced its first batch of 22 graduates under the RIS technical training program.
The graduates underwent learning and application exercises on e-commerce, digital marketing and setting up of freelancing modules.
RIS aims to bridge the digital gap by providing digital access and informal skills training to the “unserved” and “underserved” communities. It also aims to increase access to digital markets and business process management (BPM) in far-flung communities with high unemployment rates.
“RIS equips Filipinos with the skills they need in the future, and ensures that ICT serves as a catalyst for continuous job creation regardless of where they are located in their social status,” said Ibrahim during the press conference of the 2nd Philippine Impact Sourcing Conference (Piscon) in the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
Ibrahim said skills training aims to provide opportunities among Filipino talents and freelancers to boost opportunities for high-value online jobs in rural areas in the country.
Ibrahim said they intend to grow the program by encouraging graduates to conduct independent trainings so they reach out to more people.
Bogo, he said, has conducted two trainings without the intervention of the DICT.
According to Ibrahim, there were about 1.5 million Filipino freelancers in 2015, based on the data from freelancing website Upwork and Freelance.
Piscon is organized by the DICT, in partnership with the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines and the Digital Career Advocates of the Philippines (DCAP).