Iligan City, November 9, 2023 — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) celebrated a significant milestone, marking 15 years of collaboration at the 15th National ICT Summit held on November 8-9, 2023. The event, convened under the theme “Fostering Synergy for Sustainable Innovation by Making Academe, Government, and Industry Collaborate (MAGIC),” was a convergence of key figures from government, industry, and academia to discuss advancements and share best practices in the digital sphere.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, during the summit, reiterated his department’s dedication to advancing the digital ecosystem in the Philippine countryside. Secretary Uy’s vision is to create a robust digital infrastructure, enhance digital skills, and improve cybersecurity, thereby fostering job growth outside the metro areas. Reflecting on the NICP’s journey since its inception in 2008, he lauded the founding members for their foresight and acknowledged the significant contributions of ICT councils from major Philippine cities. The founding members of NICP tagged as the “Iligan 10” include ICT councils from major cities like Bacolod, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Iligan, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legazpi, and Quezon City.

Undersecretary for ICT Industry Development and NICP co-founder, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, addressed the summit with insights on the evolution of digital development in the countryside. From its humble beginnings with ten councils, the NICP’s network has now expanded to over a hundred. She highlighted the strategic goal of creating 1 million IT-BPM jobs in regional locations by 2028, a leap from the current 500,000 regional jobs out of the 1.5 million nationwide in the sector. This target underscores a concerted effort to decentralize growth and spur economic expansion across the archipelago.

Dr. Mary Joy Abueg, President of NICP, underscored the summit’s pivotal role in reinforcing the confederation’s dedication to partnership cultivation. The confederation expressed its gratitude to the City Government of Iligan and Mayor Frederick Siao for their active engagement in ICT initiatives, as demonstrated by hosting the summit.

Mayor Siao welcomed attendees and affirmed his commitment to leveraging ICT for sustainable innovation and grassroots empowerment. The mayor leads the newly-inducted Iligan ICT Council.

The summit’s discussions were organized into five focused tracks, each aimed at deepening the dialogue on digital transformation. Iligan City was spotlighted as part of DICT’s Digital Cities Program, aspiring to become a central hub for the IT-BPM industry. The DICT is committed to enhancing the city’s digital infrastructure, establishing it as an attractive destination for IT-BPM investments and a catalyst for regional economic development.

This year’s National ICT Summit not only celebrated past achievements but also set a forward-looking agenda for digital empowerment in the Philippines, laying down a roadmap for equitable growth and digital excellence across the nation’s diverse regions.