Leadership from the Top

(uuhhhmmm... doughnuts... more doughnuts....)

A lot of things happen during the last ICT class for the semester: I got a free doughnut, career advice, and of course Prof. Alampay gave a lecture on a wide array of topics. What interested me the most was the Last Mile Initiative.

The thing that struck me about the Last Mile Initiative (which Prof. Alampay spearheaded) is the importance of having progressive leaders in the community. Even in a project such as the Last Mile Initiative, which utilized a community-driven model, one critical factor for its success was the involvement of the right local leaders. Leaders who not only see the role of technology in bridging the digital divide but whose leadership allows a condusive and empowering environment. One of the understated ways by which the government can increase the probability of success of a project is to restrain itself and allow the private sector (including the community stakeholders) to take the lead. It’s refreshing to hear that there are such leaders in the Philippines, may it be the barangay captain in Cebu or then Congressman Neric Acosta.

This is a generalization which might be unfair, but the Philippines appears to have too many leaders whose only ability is to provide PR for themselves. This is not even tackling the complex issues of corruption, dynasties, warlords, and patronage politics. I am just musing about the leadership style. I have long thought that given the culture in the Philippines, change must necessarily come from the top (the political and educational elites).

I was also surprised to hear that the telecom infrastructure in the country was generally satisfactory and that interest regarding the Internet was high even in rural communities. Another surprising fact that Prof. Alampay mentioned was that 70% of those who went to the Internet shops were female and that the number one activity was “online dating”.

14th Entry