Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Gov't agency to develop RP's ICT potential sought
By Grace L. Plata
DAVAO City Councilor Teresita Mata-Marañon seeks the establishment of a government agency whose sole concern is to develop the country's information and communications technology (ICT) potential, thus calling on Davao City's representatives in the Lower House to lobby for its creation.
Through a resolution passed under suspended rules during Tuesday's session, Marañon requests Congressmen Prospero Nograles, Vicent Garcia, and Isidro Ungab to push for the creation of the Department of Information and Communication Technology.
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According to Marañon, chair of the City Council committee on information and communications technology, ICT is one of the world's favorite industries today.
In 2005, the Philippines became one of the preferred ICT locations in the world due to cheap labor costs, availability of skills, and competitiveness of workers.
She added that the Philippines has also become the second destination for outsourcing and employments in ICT-related business with an estimate of 400,000 workers nationwide.
However, Marañon said that even with the President's creation of an ICT commission, hopefully to gather ICT agencies, the fact that it is still under the office of the President proves to be a disadvantage.
"ICT efforts still lack focus because other agencies continue to get involves in the development of the local cyberservice industry. Thus, there is a need to institutionalize a single department that will oversee the development of ICT in the country, provide policies and guidelines, and direct ICT efforts of the government," Marañon said.
With this, he added, the Philippines can go higher in the ICT industry ladder and will cease to be the only Southeast Asian country without a department-level agency focused on ICT.
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (November 7, 2007 issue)
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