DICT makes significant strides in PH digital transformation

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), under the leadership of Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” B. Honasan II, made significant strides in the Philippine ICT agenda with the intensified rollout of its programs, projects and initiatives to achieve digital transformation.

“With the new normal accelerating the trend towards digital transformation, your DICT shall continue utilizing the full potential of information and communications technology to pave the way for the country to thrive in the digital economy,” Honasan said.

In view of the intensified rollout of DICT’s initiatives, Secretary Honasan visited Pangasinan province on July 23, 2021 for the launching of new Free Wi-Fi for All sites and the turnover of computer packages.

Since 2020 up to the present, the DICT managed to establish Free Wi-Fi for All hotspots in seven (7) COVID-19 facilities and thirty (30) other locations across six (6) districts in the province of Pangasinan.

Moreover, the DICT implemented other programs in Pangasinan. One of these is the Tech4ED program that aims to expand the knowledge and skills of Filipinos through Information and Communications Technology (ICT) trainings. To date, the project has already covered eighty-one percent (81%) of cities and municipalities, with the Department having built 151 Tech4ED centers throughout the province.

Also, from 2020 to 2021, sixteen (16) Tech4ED centers in Pangasinan received computer equipment from the DICT. In total, twenty-six thousand seven hundred seventy-one (26,771) users from the province have already registered on the Tech4ED platform.

As part of the Digital Cities 2025 program, Dagupan City and Urdaneta City are among the twenty -five (25) cities across the Philippines that will receive support from DICT and its other partners to strengthen their Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry. The initiative aims to develop said cities into IT-BPM hubs to increase employment opportunities for the residents of Pangasinan.

The DICT is also expanding the use of the Electronic Business Permit and Licensing System (eBPLS), to which eighteen (18) LGUs in Pangasinan are already connected. The eBPLS program seeks to establish an electronic registration for new business permits and for renewal of business permits.

Apart from the main programs mentioned, the DICT also conducted two (2) ICT Proficiency Specialist Diagnostic Exams in Pangasinan. The trainings comprised of thirty-eight (38) participants from San Carlos City and twenty-five (25) from Urdaneta City.

The DICT also approved forty (40) applications for the Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI), with 12 of them having been verified. The PNPKI service ensures that documents and online transactions are securely conducted.

Moving forward, Secretary Honasan commits to improve the Philippines’ readiness for full and inclusive participation in the global digital economy in view of DICT’s role as a driver of digital transformation.