Addressing reporters last week, Speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr. assured that the House will approve the measure creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), taking the lead from the Senate.

The new department will be focused on improving communication infrastructure and data flow in the country.

“They passed that in the Senate and, very likely, we will also comply with their version of it,” Mr. Belmonte said in a press briefing.

“Why is this important? If you look at our economy right now, ICT is an area where we have actually overtaken India and we have the capacity to continue to overtake it,” he explained.

“Yet, it is relegated to just a small department under the DoST (Department of Science and Technology) with all of its potential.”

The bill is seen as one of seven priority legislative reforms sought by foreign and local business groups before President Benigno S.C. Aquino III steps down by June 2016.

The Senate passed a version of the bill on third reading last June 1.

Under Senate Bill No. 2686, the DICT will take the lead in policy making and planning for improved public access, resource-sharing, capacity-building, consumer protection and development of the telecommunications industry.

The House, however, has yet to finish committee deliberations on the measure.

The joint House committees on government reorganization and information and communications technology decided to adopt the DICT bill that was approved in the past 15th Congress on third reading.

Mr. Belmonte said that, among others, developing the ICT sector would provide the needed boost to expand the call center industry and improve other business process outsourcing sub-sectors.

“So many Filipinos are suited for that kind of job,” the House leader said.

“Kaya natin (We can do this) and that is something that we can really excel in. I think we ought to have a department specifically devoted to it.”

The House bill itself notes that “[I]t is the policy of the State to promote the utilization of information and communications technology... as a vital tool for nation-building and economic growth that is government-enabled, private sector-led, citizen-centric and market-based.”

The new department will be the primary entity that will “plan, promote and help develop the country’s ICT sector and ensure reliable and cost-efficient communications facilities.”

As proposed, all matters related to messaging, telephone, and computer networks will be tackled by the new agency, which will now handle the National Telecommunications Commission, taking this task from the Department of Transportation and Communications.

An integrated government ICT system will also be put in place to streamline document requests and processing.

The new agency will also coordinate with the Trade department for the development of e-commerce in the country.

The bill could have been passed back in 2013, but legislators then put it on hold at the bicameral committee in the face of lukewarm reception from Malacañang. “We didn’t pass it at the bicam before because we got word that Malacañang will veto it. But now, i think it’s another good opportunity to bring it forward,” Mr. Belmonte said.

Asked about Malacañang’s position on the bill, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma, Jr. replied: “We will await Congress’ decision on this proposed law.”

The measure now awaits approval by the House appropriations committee, due to funding provisions, before it can be taken up in plenary.

The bill has been championed especially by foreign business groups.

“It will... address what the ICT/BPM/KPM (knowledge process management) industry and business organizations like ECCP have been asking for: data privacy protection, cyber security implementation, and [address] slow and costly broadband infrastructure,” said Henry J. Schumacher, vice-president for external affairs of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP).

“With that in place, investors will be more secure.”

The House’s adoption of the Senate’s version will do away with the need for a bicameral conference committee that harmonizes conflicting provisions, and the bill will be sent promptly to Malacañang for signing into law.

Source: Business World Online