E-commerce firms pin hope on DICT to push IT development

E-commerce advocates like the Ureka Forum and its consortium members hope the newly formed Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) can provide lasting solutions and empower the entire business value chain to go beyond their growth potential.

Filipino entrepreneurs can now look forward to a more progressive journey towards financial empowerment with the successful creation of the DICT.

With technology playing such a big part in the lives of millions of Filipinos these days, the DICT will be highly instrumental in laying down the groundwork for the Filipino entrepreneurs foray into global e-commerce.

The long-standing relationship between the public and the private sectors are expected to be strengthened further as both parties will play significant roles in advancing the interest of the Filipinos in the digital age.

In a recent interview, DICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima noted that “The ICT industry is fast becoming the country’s top dollar earner.” He adds, “Its capacity to generate jobs is projected to surpass the big dollar remittances of OFWs to the Philippines.”

The DICT’s first objective, as mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte during his first State of the Nation address, is to develop the country’s “national broadband plan” to accelerate broadband deployment across the nation.

This, thought leaders believe, will greatly help Filipino SMEs confidently take the jump onto the digital platform.

For Filipino entrepreneurs, it is seen to complement the implementation of key initiatives geared towards pursuit of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) 2020 E- Commerce Roadmap.

Genaro V. Lapez, Executive Vice President of UnionBank of the Philippines, who also happens to be the chief advocate of the UREKA Forum- the Philippines’ most comprehensive e-commerce mass conversion movement- welcomed this development.

“The creation of the DICT is a huge step forward towards realizing this goal, but the real success of this endeavor will also need the all-out support of stakeholders from the private sector,” Lapez said.