CITY OF SAN FERNANDO---The City of San Fernando has been named as a “Digital City” this year by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
The recognition was conferred by the DICT during Digital Cities Awards 2024 on July 24, 2024 at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Resort in Cebu City.
The DICT's ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB) cited 19 cities in Luzon and three each in the Visayas and Mindanao.
According to the IIDB, the 19 digital cities were recognized for their roadmaps and showcasing their progress and dedication to ICT growth and innovation under the Digital Cities Program.
The Digital Cities scorecard is a four-point evaluation system that assesses possible IT-BPM locations against factors, particularly talent availability, infrastructure,
cost-effectiveness, and business environment, that make a city attractive to investors and locators.
San Fernando ICT Officer James Francis Villanueva said the city qualified as a "digicity" based on the scorecard and for “advancing and transforming the digital landscape” through its efforts in becoming “viable hubs” for IT-Business Process Management investment.
The San Fernando City Information and Communications Technology Office has initiated this year several projects including “Kayabe” series featuring free Wi-Fi, citizens’ portal, health management information system and other application systems, building community learning hubs, and hosting a major ICT Summit.
The DICT also noted that the placement of over 5,000 employees in the IT-BPM industry is targeted in San Fernando, which Villanueva said will boost Mayor Vilma Caluag's vision of becoming a smart, sustainable city.
The other Digital Cities 2024 Luzon awardees-cities are Balanga, Batangas, Cabanatuan, Dagupan, Iriga, Laguna cluster (Calamba, Los Banos, San Pablo), Laoag, Legaspi, Malolos, Metro Cavite cluster (Bacoor, General Trias, Imus), Metro Rizal cluster (Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay), Olongapo, Puerto Princesa, San Jose Del Monte, Tarlac, Tuguegarao, and Urdaneta.
The awardees for Visayas are the cities of Roxas, Tagbilaran and Tacloban while the cities of Zamboanga, Iligan and General Santos in Mindanao were named as digital cities.
The Digital Cities program was launched in 2009 by the DICT together with the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, and Leechiu Property Consultants with the goal of providing current and prospective locators with a comprehensive overview of the investment landscape and offer them strategic insights on cities and municipalities across the country.
In 2018, it was rebranded to Next Wave Cities and in 2020, Digital Cities 2025 was launched to further highlight the value of countryside development and the capability of key locations outside Metro Manila to become thriving business districts and viable investment hubs for IT-BPM services.