1. An Analysis of the
Current State of
Philippine ICT
1st Student Developers Day
GDG Zamboanga
04 September 2013

2. Network Readiness Index (NRI)
The Philippines has been declining steadily in
NRI ranking over the years, as indicated in
the Global Information Technology Report
(GITR) by the World Economic Forum. From
58th place in 2002, it is down to 86th out of
144 in 2013.

3. Overview
● ICT in the Philippines (e-Governance) - A Little Bit of
History
● 2013 NRI
● ICT‘s Importance in Philippine Society
● Case Comparison: Philippines vs Malaysia, Singapore
● Recommendations for Improving Philippine ICT
● Conclusion

4. ICT in the Philippines (e-
Governance) - A Little Bit of
History
Ramos - Current Administration

5. Ramos (1992-1998):
National IT Plan,
NITC, IT21, Internet
for Gov’t Agencies
Estrada (1998-2001):
eCommerce Act, Gov’
t IS Plan, ITECC
Overview
Arroyo (2001-2010):
strengthened ITECC,
e-Govt fund, CICT,
push for DICT,
National Broadband
Network (NBN)
Aquino (2010-
present)

6. Ramos Administration: Policies
● 1994: National Information Technology Plan
2000 (NITP2000)
● 1994 & 1998: Executive Order 190 s. 1994
(amended by EO 469 in 1998) established
the National Information Technology Council
(NITC)
○ direct policy body in ICT matters in the country
○ mandated the designation of Information Systems
Planners in each government agency to take charge

7. Ramos Administration: Policies
● 1997: Government-approved IT21 was
formulated
○ country’s action agenda for year 2000 and beyond
○ promote best practices in ICT governance
○ encouraged outsourcing of government ICT projects
to promote ICT growth
● 1997: Administrative Order 332: Directive for
Government Agencies’ Internet Connectivity
○ aims to connect for greater efficiency in
communication and data interchange
■ government
■ academe

8. Ramos Administration: Policies
○ stimulate the growth of the Philippine
web – thereby strengthening the role of
telecommunications systems, network
and communications services, content
management and applications to provide
better services
○ meant to develop the Philippine
Information Infrastructure (PII)
framework

9. Estrada Administration: Policies
● 2000: The Electronic Commerce Act
○ defines the government’s policies on e-commerce
and electronic transactions
○ recognize electronic evidence as admissible in court
● 2000: Government Information Systems
Plan (GISP) 2000 framework (Executive
Order 265 s. 2000)
○ computerize key frontline and common government
services and operation

10. Estrada Administration: Policies
● created Information Technology and
eCommerce Council (ITECC)
○ partnership between public and private sectors for IT
and eCommerce matters
■ ISP.COM strategy

11. Arroyo Administration: Policies
● placed ICT as a priority in its agenda
○ General Appropriations Act of 2004-2010
establishes an e-Government fund as source of
funding for mission-critical, high-impact, and cross-
agency government ICT projects
● strengthened Information Technology and
eCommerce Council (ITECC) which was
created by Estrada

12. Arroyo Administration: Policies
● 2004: Commission on ICT (CICT), a de facto
DICT
○ CICT formulated Philippine IT Roadmap
■ fell short compared to Malaysia’s Wawasan 2020
and Singapore’s iN2015
● (shortly after roadmap was formulated,
National Broadband Network (NBN) scandal
erupted, consumed greater part of public
attention)

13. Aquino Administration
● abolished CICT, instead moved IT directives
under DOST-ICTO (Information and
Communications Technology Office)
● minimized red-tapes for starting a business,
tax holidays for business operating in PEZA

14. ICTO’s Current Projects
● iGovPhil
● Digital TV Migration
● TV White Space Initiative
● Information Systems Strategic Plans (ISSP)
as a requirement for gov’t agencies

15. 2013 NRI

16. ● 86th position overall out of 144
The Bad:
○ Environment Sub-index: 100/144
■ up by 11 points, very last among ASEAN countries
○ red-tape, among the worst worldwide in other similar
indicators
The Good:
○ ICT Impacts: 68/144 (up by 16 points from last year)
○ Role of ICT in creating new products and services:
43/144
Philippines: Global IT Report 2013

19. ICT’s Importance in Philippine
Society

20. ICT’s Importance in Philippine
Society
● archipelagic country - improve connectivity
● improve productivity and efficiency
○ different sectors
■ government and governance
■ education
■ economy
■ employment
■ industries
■ small businesses

21. ICT’s Importance in Philippine
Society
Country’s Economic Strengths
● Agribusiness
● Tourism
● Globally competitive industrial and service center
● Information and communication technology and
knowledge economy

22. The Need to Develop ICT for
Agriculture
● Philippine economy is largely agricultural
○ 12% of GDP, 33% of workforce
● Country is world’s largest producer of
coconuts and pineapples, and one of the
largest producers of rice and sugar

23. The Need to Develop ICT for
Agriculture
● ICT can help increase efficiency in the
following phases:
○ crop cultivation
○ water management
○ fertilizer application
○ pest management
○ harvesting, post-harvesting
● Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank - http:
//openacademy.ph/

24. The Need to Boost Country’s
Tourism through ICT
● Tourism Sector - no other sector spreads
wealth and jobs across poor countries in the
same way as this sector
● http://itsmorefuninthephilippines.com/
● 4M tourists in 2012

25. The Need for Stronger Support to
Accelerate IT-BPO Growth
● IT industry can grow up to US$25 billion in
revenue by 2016 if public-private partnership
with the government is strengthen
intensively, and improve the both the
quantity and quality of the people working in
the industry

26. The Need for Stronger Support to
Accelerate IT-BPO Growth
● Driving standards and accreditation to
ensure a better match between the skills of
graduates with the requirements of industry
● More aggressive internal marketing of the
industry to the local talent pool
● Strengthening awareness of the Philippine
value proposition in IT, voice and non-voice
BPO services in existing and new markets

27. The Need for Stronger Support to
Accelerate IT-BPO Growth
● Advocating high impact public policies
● Strengthening our Public-Private
Partnership with government to fund key
programs such as study-to-work training
programs

28. Case Comparison: Philippines
versus Malaysia, Singapore

29. Case Comparison: Philippines
versus Malaysia, Singapore
Philippines
● 83rd in Gov’t IT Usage
● 1998: NITP
● Medium Term Philippine Development
Plan for 1999-2004 (“MTPDP”)
○ creation and strengthening of the
National Information Technology
Council;
○ creation of the Electronic Commerce
Promotion Council
○ establishment of RPWEB, which will
later evolve into the Philippine
Information Infrastructure
● 2000: 2nd among Asian countries in terms
of largest number of training facilities for
computer programming and computer-
related courses
Malaysia
- 8th in Gov’t IT Usage
- 1990-2020: Vision 2020
- 1996: MSC Malaysia
Singapore
- 1st in Gov’t IT Usage
- 2005: iN2015

30. Philippines’ IT21
By the turn of the 21st century, the Philippines will have
laid the infrastructure for every business, every agency of
government, every school, and every home in the
Philippines to have access to information technology.
By the year 2005, IT use will be pervasive in daily life.
Philippine companies will be producing competitive IT
products for world markets. Within the first decade of the
21st Century, the Philippines will be a Knowledge
Center in the Asia-Pacific: the leader in IT education, in
IT-assisted training, and in the application of information
and knowledge to business, professional services, and the
arts.

31. Singapore Leading the Way in
ASEAN
● ultra-high speed, pervasive, intelligent, and
trusted ICT structure
● sectorial transformation of key government
sectors, government, and society
● ICT-savvy workforce and globally
competitive ICT manpower

32. Singapore Leading the Way in
ASEAN
● strong start-up community for new ICT companies to
flourish
● giving incentives for research and development in ICT
sector
● providing funds for course and examination fees –
especially in emerging technologies such as business
analytics, cloud computing, and green ICT – for
interested ICT professionals

33. Malaysia Trails Second in ASEAN
Previously
● 4TFA
○ Wireless Sensor Networks
○ Predictive Analytics
○ 3D Internt
Now
● promoting innovation through identifying
obstables and challenges to innovation

34. Philippines is Halfway There
● Government and Governance
● Internet access for all
● Digital Literacy
● ICT usage across business and
industries

35. Recommendations for Improving
Philippine ICT

36. Recommendations for Improving
Philippine ICT
● strong cabinet-level leadership separate
from the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST)
● strong public-private partnerships must be
established to execute initiatives for
improvement
● a strong ICT R&D Team in the government
with private sector partnership is a must

37. Short to Medium-Term Goals
● Improved Social Impact
○ intensifying public awareness of the benefits of ICT
and public-private partnerships, with people as direct
beneficiaries
■ Massive ICT Usage Promotion and Marketing across the Country
■ ICT Usage Based on Economic Strengths
■ ICT Usage Based on Community Needs
● Philippine Community e-Center Portal (PhilCeCNet) for
Community e-Centers

38. Short to Medium-Term Goals
● Infrastructure and Affordability
○ 73rd in mobile cellular tariffs
○ 95th in fixed broadband Internet tariffs – not only one of the most
expensive in the world, but also one of the most expensive in ASEAN
region
○ Competitive rates are expected to get better over the years, especially
if new entrants are encouraged by the government.
■ mobile broadband, particularly in rural and no-service areas
■ accelerate the roll-out of broadband to the entire country
(ICTO started the TV White Space Initiative that utilizes unused TV channels
for data communication.)

39. Short to Medium-Term Goals
● Skills Development
○ Improve Quality of Math and Science Education
○ Local and International Training for Deserving
Professionals
○ Government-Led Research and Development in the
Following Areas:
■ Cloud Computing
■ Data Management and Analytics
■ Mobile Devices and Social Networking

40. Long-Term Goal
● a strong ICT R&D Team in the government
with private sector partnership is a must

41. Other Rooms for Improvement
Education
● Internet access in schools
● Quality of math and science education
● Secondary education gross enrollment rate, %
● Tertiary education gross enrollment rate, %
● Computer Usage from Elementary level
● Promote Usage of Free and Open Source Software

42. Other Rooms for Improvement
Enhanced ICT Environment
● Political and Regulatory Environment
○ Effectiveness of law-making bodies
○ Judicial independence
○ Intellectual property protection
○ Efficiency of legal system in settling disputes
○ Efficiency of legal system in challenging regulations
○ Number of days to enforce a contract

43. Other Rooms for Improvement
Enhanced ICT Environment
● Business and Innovation
○ Electricity production, kWh/capita
○ Total tax rate, % profits
○ Number of days to start a business
○ Number of procedures to start a business
○ Government procurement of advanced technologies
○ Capacity for innovation
○ PCT patents, applications/million pop.
○ ICT PCT patents, applications/million pop.
○ Knowledge-intensive jobs, % workforce

44. Conclusion

45. Conclusion
● ICT plays a significant role for a country’s
growth and productivity.
● Through productivity, economic growth
will follow suit.
● ICT must be utilized to promote inclusive
growth and sustainability – everyone in the
country must experience the growth.

46. Resources
1. Romulo, R. Philippine ICT after GMA. The Philippine Star, 29 May 2009.
http://www.philstar.com/business/471917/philippine-ict-after-gma. 11 June 2013.
2. The Philippine Digital Strategy Transformation 2.0: Digitally Empowered Nation.
Philippine Commission on Information and Communications Technology, 2011.
http://www.ncc.gov.ph/files/PDS.pdf. 11 June 2013.
3. ICT Strategic Review 2012/13. National IT Council at Ministry of Science, Technology,
and Innovation Malaysia and PIKOM, The National ICT Association of Malaysia, 2008.
http://www.pikom.org.my/cms/ICT_Strategic_Review/ICT_Strategic_Review_2012-
2013.pdf. 11 June 2013.
4. Realising the iN2015 Vision Singapore: An Intelligent Nation, A Global City, Powered by
Infocomm. Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, 2010.
http://www.ida.gov.sg/~/media/Files/Infocomm%20Landscape/iN2015/Reports/realis
ingthevisionin2015.pdf. 11 June 2013

47. Resources
5. The Global Information Technology Report 2013: Growth and Jobs in a Hyperconnected
World. Ed. Bilbao-Osorio, Dutta, Lanvin. World Economic Form, 2013.
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GITR_Report_2013.pdf. 24 June 2013.
6. Philippines Tails ASEAN Neighbors, Rwanda in ‘network readiness’ index.
Interaksyon.com, 2012. http://www.interaksyon.com/business/28717/philippines-
tails-asean-neighbors-rwanda-in-network-readiness-index. 24 June 2013.
7. 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan. NEDA, 2011. http://devplan.neda.gov.ph/index.php. 25
June 2013.
8. BROADBAND: A PLATFORM FOR PROGRESS. UNESCO, 2010.
http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/broadband_comm
ission_report_overview.pdf. 25 June 2013.

48. Resources
9. List of Island Countries. Wikipedia, date unknown.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_island_countries. 25 June 2013.
10. List of Island Countries. Wikipedia, date unknown.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_island_countries. 25 June 2013.
11. Philippines. Wikipedia, date unknown. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines. 25
June 2013.
12. The Economic Impact of Broadband in the Philippines. May 2012, ITU Broadband
Commission. http://www.itu.int/ITU-
D/treg/broadband/BB_MDG_Philippines_BBCOM.pdf. 26 June 2013.
13. e-Government in the Philippines: Benchmarking Against Global Best Practices. April
2002, Digital Philippines. http://www.unapcict.org/ecohub/resources/e-government-
in-the-philippines-benchmarking-against-global-best-
practices/at_download/attachment1. 28 June 2013.

49. Resources
14. IT-BPO Road Map 2011-2016. IT and Business Process Association Philippines, 2010.
http://www.bpap.org/about-us/it-bpo-road-map-2011-2016. 28 June 2013.
15. NITP. http://www.ncc.gov.ph/default.php?a1=2&a2=2&a3=2. National Computer
Center, date unknown. 28 June 2013.
16. Philippines Aims at Higher-Value Process.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2013/06/05/philippines-aims-higher-
value-process-285984. M. Aznar, Sun Star Cebu, 05 June 2013. 28 June 2013.
17. Super regions of the Philippines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_regions_of_the_Philippines. Wikipedia, date
unknown. 29 June 2013.
18. ICTO Launded for TV White Space Initiative. http://icto.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news-
events/current-news/101-icto-lauded-for-tv-white-space-initiative-. ICTO, 2012. 29
June 2013.

50. Resources
19. Economy of the Philippines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Philippines. Wikipedia, date unknown.
29 June 2013.
20. ICT in Agriculture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICT_in_agriculture. Wikipedia, date
unknown. 02 July 2013.
21. Tourism: Enhancing Economic Growth in Emerging Markets.
http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/industry_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_
site/industries/manufacturing+and+services/sectors/tourism,+retail+and+property/tou
rism. International Finance Corporation, January 2012. 02 July 2013.
22. Tourism in the Philippines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_the_Philippines.
Wikipedia, date unknown. 02 July 2013.

51. Resources
23. PIKOM ICT Strategic Review 2012-13.
http://www.enterpriseitnews.com.my/coverage/item/1693-pikom-ict-strategic-
review-2012-2013-–-part-1-innovation-for-digital-opportunities.html. Enterprise IT
News, date unknown. 02 July 2013.
24. IT Action Agenda for the 21st
Century. http://www.neda.gov.ph/Subweb/IT21/default.htm. National Information Technology
Council, October 1997. 02 July 2013.

52. About The Speaker

53. ● Senior Java Developer, dJava Factory (KL)
● Master in Information Systems Student, University of
the Philippines Open University
● Evangelist and Python Developer, The Usbong Project
(http://www.usbong.ph)
● Admin, Big Data Philippines (Facebook, Google+,
Linked In) (https://www.facebook.
com/groups/169641346529976/)
Diana Jayne Gonzales

54. Questions?
● http://www.linkedin.com/in/godiane
● http://gplus.to/godiane

55. I hope this has been
informative.
Enjoy the rest of the day! :)