By Alexander Villafania
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – An online petition calling for the restoration of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) from being a sub-agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) has gathered more than 400 signatories.
The petition (http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/restorecict/signatures) was started by members of an open group of supporters of the CICT on Facebook after President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III released Executive Order 47 that effectively demoted the CICT to become part of the DoST.
Among the signatories are politicians, business process outsourcing executives, ICT organizations, education institutions, and even members of the CICT. Some of the signatories have also benefited from projects that the CICT started, particularly those in the iSchools.ph program.
The primary reason for the call to restore the CICT includes the need for a department level agency to pursue specific laws that help the growth of the ICT industry in the Philippines. The CICT has been advocating for new ICT laws, particularly the Cybercrime Bill and the Data Privacy Bill.
The CICT is also widely believed to be a precursor to a Department of ICT or DICT.
The petitioners insist that the demotion of CICT would scrap the previous ICT projects started by the agency. They also questioned the demotion as there was no public consultation regarding plans for the CICT.
They also criticized Aquino for overlooking the effectiveness of an agency as an important aspect in ensuring that the government applies ICT to deliver services to the public.
CICT Chairperson Atty. Ivan Anthony Uy had previously said the DICT could set the country’s direction in utilizing ICT for national development.
Ironically, Uy led the launch of the Philippine Digital Strategy, just days after the agency itself was scrapped to become the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) under the DoST.
Legislators and organizations have expressed their concern regarding the move of the CICT to DoST.
The Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP), an umbrella organization of outsource companies, said they were surprised with the lack of consultations with sectors that would be most affected by the release of the EO, though they pledge to work with the DoST.
Senator Edgardo Angara, who has been advocating for the creation of the DICT, also conveyed his disagreement to Malacanang’s recent move.
In a recent inauguration of an ICT research and development center in Quezon City, President Aquino touched on his optimism for the ICT industry, which he expects to continue growing in the coming years and acknowledging the local industry’s contribution to the country’s economy.
Aquino stressed more on the reduction of “bureaucratic red tape” for BPOs through improvements in other agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Despite mentioning the achievements of ICT in the Philippines, not once did he mention the CICT’s role in many of the achievements he cited.
