MaSSSoftech

A SENATE committee has recommended the approval of a bill creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), which will absorb the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) and three offices under it and the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT).

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, chairman of the committee on science and technology, on Wednesday sponsored for plenary approval Senate Bill 2546, which seeks to create the DICT that will take over the combined functions of the Palace-supervised CICT and the DoTC’s National Computer Center, Telecommunications Office and Communications Planning Service division.

Mr. Angara said in an interview last week that the Palace-certified measure is expected to be approved by the Senate when session adjourns on Oct. 17. The session would resume on Nov. 10.

The DICT’s budget of P1.2 billion would be included in the annual general appropriations law.

All of the government units have their respective budget plans included in the proposed 2010 P1.54-trillion outlay "so the creation of the DICT will simply result in the realignment of these budgets," said Mr. Angara, also chairman of the finance committee which is discussing next year’s budget.

The House counterpart bill has been approved on third and final reading last year and is awaiting the Senate’s proposal for reconciliation in the conference committee, Catanduanes Rep. Joseph A. Santiago, committee on communication and information technology, told BusinessWorld yesterday.

He said the Palace-certified measure is expected to be reconciled in conference committee and signed by the President into law this year.

DoTC and CICT officials were unavailable for comment.

"I strongly believe that the creation of the DICT will be of major strategic importance to sustaining the Philippines’ global ICT (information and communication technology) competitiveness," Mr. Angara said.

He noted that the CICT’s status is "very precarious," with several fiats issued that have transferred the agency from one department to another.

Where has it been assigned?

"Since the CICT was created by an executive order (EO), its powers and functions may also be changed or removed by the mere issuance of another EO," Mr. Angara said.

"Despite the benefits it has brought, continues to bring and promises to deliver, the Philippine ICT sector lags behind other countries. Many countries, particularly our main competitors in the global BPO (business process outsourcing) market, have ministries or departments focused on ICT," Mr. Angara added, referring to Australia, China, India, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt, Iran, Jordan and Kenya.

"In contrast, we have a commission with a tenuous existence." — B. U. Allauigan