Thursday, March 11, 2010

Noy No AddDICT?

"A government agency focused on information and communication technology only plays a supportive role... a support mechanism, as opposed to agencies like DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), and DepEd (Department of Education). Ang problema lang, ang paniwala namin napakarami na tayong mga offices and officers who are not actually doing something useful."

This is what 2010 Presidential candidate Senator Noynoy Aquino had answered in an interview when asked about his opinion regarding the proposal for the establishment of a Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT).

Considering the fact that globalization is here to stay, and that technology is rapidly evolving as well as the fact that more and more people go online and use anything from computers to cellphones to what-have-yous in their day to day activities, the need for a DICT becomes clearer and it cannot be overemphasized. ICT is very much an integral part of our lives today and it's going to get worse, meaning there will be greater degrees of involvement of ICT in our daily lives that we cannot even begin to imagine today. In other words, it's here to stay. Thus, having a governmental body which will regulate the use of ICT, sustain the gains we have made in that field and ensure its future growth is critical to our national development and global competitiveness. Even the head of the CICT or the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (which is currently the adminstrative body overseeing all things ICT) Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III himself is pushing for the creation of the DICT, presumably to have a more pronounced policy-making function. I agree with the good Senator in the sense that we do have a number of overlapping offices in the government which could very well be streamlined if not outright abolished but I disagree that an ICT department is one of those with useless functions.

13th Entry

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