MANILA, Philippines--A bill creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has been approved by the House committee on appropriations without "much opposition," the chairman of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) said on Monday.

Unlike last year, no major issues were raised during last week's hearing, said CICT chairman Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III.

"There were no more issues. We were given a chance to speak. There was not much opposition," he said.

The CICT, which is currently under the Office of the President, was created as an interim body to the planned DICT and has been lobbying for the bill's passage.

"We really wanted the DICT created. It has been four years. We will continue to push it," Chua said.

Last year, some congressmen opposed the idea of creating another new department, as they cited concerns of adding more to the government's bureaucracy, Chua added.

Chua said former National Telecommunications Commission chairman Joseph Santiago, who now heads the House committee on ICT, and Representative Liwayway Chato of Camarines Norte support the DICT bill.

Meanwhile, the Senate committee on science and technology has yet to re-schedule a public hearing on the counterpart DICT bill filed by Senator Loren Legarda.