Warm welcome and cheers to Atty. Ivan John Uy, President and member of the Board of Trustees of the CIOF Foundation, Inc., on his appointment as Chairman of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, vice Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III.

He will join the other distinguished members of the President’s Cabinet in what may be a daunting task of unravelling the many challenges now facing the country in general, and ICT and public governance in particular. 
Following are what we feel are the key challenges now facing him as new chairman of the CICT:

1.   Lack of an ICT agenda 

The Statement of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), a powerful lobby group in the country, that the present administration has no ICT agenda is a serious indictment, not only of the ICT leadership, but also of the ICT community -- the CIOF and CIOF Foundation, included.   Atty. Uy may have to immediately convene the various stakeholders to craft a new ICT agenda and roadmap that will define the vision, as well as the strategy, to sustain the momentum and upward trajectory of ICT development in the country.  We cannot afford to see ICT in the country die a natural death due to negligence, or worse, apathy, on the part of the ICT leadership and the ICT stakeholders.

2.  Lack of resources for ICT development

Perhaps as a consequence of the first, the current administration seems to have relegated ICT and e-governance to the back burner.  It has not only reduced by half in its proposed 2011 expenditure program the amount allocated for the e-Government Fund, it also has not included ICT and ICT development in its PPP (Public-Private Sector Partnership) financing program  for 2011.  This is a pity, considering the current actual and possible further contribution of the ICT industry and ICT-related initiatives to the Philippine economy.

The ICT Roadmap that will be crafted should list down the specific programs and projects, with clear sources of funding, which would create an immediate positive impact not on public governance and government operations, but more importantly on the lives of the people.  These would include greater public access to jobs and basic services such as health and education. 

Many from the ICT business sector have indicated their willingness to participate in the government’s PPP initiative, but they need more than rhetoric to be assured that their proposals, if submitted, could be given sufficient consideration by the present administration.

3.   Need to tighten up Cyber Security for government agencies

The recent attacks on key national and local government web sites highlight the vulnerability of government information systems and networks. Hence, there is need for greater vigilance and preparedness among government agencies against cyber attacks and hacking. To date, no government agency has been designated to lead in this effort. 

Recognizing the urgency of this concern, the CIOF Foundation organized in March this year a Round Table Discussion (RTD) on Cyber Security, together with the National Cyber Security Office (NCSO).  The NCSO was created last year by virtue of an Office Order issued by then CICT Chairman Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III.  Then Undersecretary and Deputy National Security Adviser Virtus Gil was designated National Cyber Security Coordinator and head of the NCSO. Ms. Malou Santelices was among some key personnel from the National Security Council (NSC) who were detailed to the Office.  They have done so much work to enhance public and government awareness of this growing threat to the security of the nation, but to date, no action has still been done to re-designate them or appoint other people to build upon the work that they have already done.   

Toward the end of October, the CIOF Foundation, together with the CIO Forum, and in cooperation with the business sector, will hold a General Membership Meeting (GMM) on the subject to further discuss this growing menace to government and to society and how to prepare themselves against Cyber attacks.

These are only a few of the challenges facing the CICT chairman.  We are sure there are a lot more.  But certainly, there is urgent need for him to bring all these concerns to the attention of the President, and for the President to immediately recognize the potential contribution of ICT to realize his goals to reduce poverty, promote greater transparency, reduce corruption in government transactions, and enhance public governance.