SINGAPORE -- The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) plans to create a national body to promote the adoption of open source technologies.

The Philippines is scheduled to host this October a regional open source conference which will gather representatives from 21 countries to sign an agreement.

The said agreement will push for cooperation among these countries in the area of open source. Expected to benefit the most are emerging markets like the Philippines.

But the head of the event organizer tapped by the CICT for this conference, earlier disclosed to INQUIRER.net that the event, originally scheduled October 28 to 29 in Cebu, has been postponed at a later date.

In an official statement signed by CICT chairman Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, the commission indicated the need to create this national open source body prior to holding the conference.

"Significant developments have evolved including the vision to bring together all institutions that work for the cause of our open source," CICT said.

"The need to put up an organization similar to what member-economies of the Asia Open Source Software Center (AOSCC) have today, comes to fore," CICT added.

Moreover, CICT said there is a need to "refine" planned activities for the conference. Major IT companies such as IBM are reportedly sponsoring the conference.