Budget Hearing of the Department of Information and Communications Technology

During the deliberations on the proposed budget of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), we asked about the status of the Philippines in the cyber world. We also took notice of Cybersecurity and Digital Literacy. It is worrying that in the 2019 International Telecommunications Union Digital Survey, the Philippines ranked lowest among ASEAN nations when it comes to digital skills. Of those 15 years old and above, only 6% have basic, 2% have standard, and 1% have advanced digital skills.

I emphasized that digital literacy must be a priority of the DICT in this day and age. As principal author of RA 10844 or the law that created the agency, I want to ensure that the Department gets the support it needs to serve the Filipino public in the best way possible.