ICT group told be ready for P-Noy Sept. meet

MEMBERS of an Information Communication Technology group were advised to prepare a strong case on why President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III should junk an order downgrading the Commission on Information Communication Technology (CICT) to a Communications Technology Office.

Undersecretary Ibarra Gutierrez III of the Office of Political Affairs said his office has set up a meeting with the members of the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) and the President on the second week of September.

Gutierrez gave eight tips to the NICP representatives on how to give their presentation to the President to convince him to take back Executive Order 47.

Lawyer Jocelle Sigue, NICP president, said they would try and follow Gutierrez’s advise.

Executive Order 47, which was announced on June 30, downgraded the Commission on Information and Commission Technology to Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) and is placed under the supervision of the Department of Science and Technology.

The announcement was made a day after the launching of the Philippine Digital Strategy 2011-2016 road map by NICP.

Sigue said the downgrading would affect the ICT road map since it was based on the CICT structure.

Gutierrez together with Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Secretary Ronaldo Llamas and assistant secretary John Escario met with Sigue and her group last Tuesday in Cebu.

“We have taken down all your issues as well and we’ll be communicating this back to the President by way of a memorandum,” Secretary Llamas said.

Gutierrez said they saw the crucial role of the ICT and outsourcing industry which was why they held the dialogue.

Gutierrez’s tips include making presentations shorter.

“First, focus on the impacts of the industry to job creation, then potential income and how it affects our economy. Third. emphasize on the present threat of China wanting to take over our current rank then fourth tie these information with challenges and what you think CICT or DICT can do that a unit under DOST cannot do,” he said.

Sigue, for her part, said the group would continue to push for the creation of a separate department for ICT, which was already passed as a bill and supported by 19 out of 23 senators.

At present, NICP has 35 member associations nationwide that support the creation of the Department of ICT.  Reporter Aileen Yap-Garcia