Executive Order No. 269 created the Commission on Information and Communications Technology a the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, regulating, administrative entity of the executive branch of the government that will promote, develop, and regulate integrated and strategic ICT systems. There is also currently a pending bill in the Senate (Senate Bill No. 2546, 14th Congress) that aims to establish, by law, a Department of Information and Communications Technology. Basically, it aims to reach a level of global competitiveness for Filipinos in the field of ICT primarily with the help of the private sector.
This shows that there is an intent, at the very least, on the part of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and some Senators, namely Estrada, Legarda, Angara, and Trillanes, to recognize the importance of ICT in the Philippines in our present market and in the future.
While the proposed law looks good on paper, I question the capability of the Philippines to actually properly implement such intent once it becomes law. I mean, had it not been for the need to post a weekly blog for this particular class, I would never had known about EO No. 269 and the pending SB No. 2546. In short, simply putting this intent to law is not enough. Just because those who think they are in power say so does not make it so in the real world. Do we really need a law just so we can develop our ICT sector? No doubt, such law will help (with the proper appropriation from Congress) but in my mind, there are other avenues for development beyond law-making – I can’t think of one right now, but I’m pretty sure there is. Then again, maybe it’s just the law student in me thinking that another law made makes for an additional study load.
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Rivera, Jan Michael A.
02-16779
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