TABUK CITY, Kalinga – As the city gears towards digital transformation, the city government activates its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Council through its first council meeting with the Cordillera office of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)-CAR today at Mhotel.
Although Executive Order (EO) No. 11, which created the city’s ICT Council, was issued back in 2020, it has remained inactive due to pandemic-related restrictions. However, as the city aims to become a Smart City, there has been a renewed call for proactive engagement with the ICT sector.
The primary objective of the ICT Council is to foster the growth and development of the city’s ICT industry to help improve the local economy.
As per DICT Regional Director Pinky Jimenez, the council will work closely with the DICT to facilitate the establishment of the IT Business Processing Management industry (IT-BPM), enhance government networking, and establish collaborations with educational institutions for training and job placement opportunities.
Jimenez further highlighted the DICT’s efforts to improve connectivity in rural areas, support the rise in ICT jobs outside Metro Manila, and promote digital job creation in places like Tabuk City. Consequently, DICT will capacitate the ICT Council so they can equip people on the lower end with the necessary skills in terms of IT-BPM.
She also said that by reactivating the city ICT Council, the local government and its partner agencies will enhance public service, provide connectivity, streamline operations, and empower citizens.
During the council meeting, members agreed to amend the existing EO to incorporate updates on the council’s functions, roles, responsibilities, and membership. The revised membership will include representatives from sectors such as education, health, agriculture, environment, tourism, trade and industry, and governance.
Following this first council meeting, which served as their briefing, the members will reconvene for a capability-building session. These sessions will focus on identifying individual roles and creating roadmaps aligned with the mandates of the DICT and the smart city initiatives. By Ruth Cupang