Friday, July 16, 2004 3rd MICT gab to bolster bid for an e-Mindanao
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Mindanao's information and communication technology (ICT) industry stakeholders are set to converge at the 3rd Mindanao ICT Congress here in October, bolstering efforts to accelerate an ICT-based economy in the island-region.
Dubbed as "Mindanao Summit on Information Society," this year's MICT congress is expected draw over 300 participants from government institutions, the academe, non-government organizations, civil society and media in Mindanao. Invitations are also being sent to ICT counterparts in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga).
Anchored on the theme eMindaNOW! (Mindanao: Networked, Online, Worldwide), the ICT congress will be held in support of the national government's commitment to the 2003
World Summit on Information Society's (WSIS) Declaration of Principles to "eliminate the digital divide and to promote an ICT development-oriented information society."
The Philippines was among the 170 signatory countries in the summit who vowed to harness the potentials of ICT for socio-economic growth.
Mindanao Business Council (MBC) chair Antonio Santos said that the continuing effort to conduct the MICT Congress is in line with the private sector's initiative to pump prime Mindanao's economy through connectivity.
"We want stakeholders in the business and government sectors to seriously look at ICT as an enabler and facilitator," he said during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between MBC and Regional IT and E-Commerce Committee (RITECC) IX which identified the two organizations as the lead associations of the congress.
Santos said Mindanao's pressing problem on connectivity, including its bid to become an ICT investment hub will be up for discussion at the congress.
He added that ICT players will also look at opportunities for collaboration on ICT development among ICT players within the BIMP-Eaga and the implementation of WSIS' plan of action in Mindanao.
Despite its contribution to the national economy, Mindanao lags behind the rest of the country in terms of ICT development. The island has a low exposure to new ICT products.
Due to its strategic position in the BIMP-EAGA and the presence of small and medium enterprises, Mindanao's immense potentials to become a major revenue driver for ICT innovations, however, have been recognized.
The MICT Congress is one of the initiatives adopted by the Mindanao ICT Task Force (MICTTF) currently chaired by Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) and co-chaired by both MBC and Zamboanga City.
"This congress would be a right step towards realizing our goal of having a world-class ICT hub in Mindanao driven by the strong private and government partnership," Medco vice chair Eufemia Calderon said.
Meanwhile, the holding of the 3rd MICT congress here was lauded by host Zamboanga City as the event is seen to help boost awareness on the city and the region's readiness for ICT development. Medco
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