In a letter sent to House Speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr., the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) urged the legislative leadership to pass a bill similar to one that hurdled the Senate earlier this year.

“By establishing a DICT, not only will the Philippines join over 80% of countries worldwide which already have dedicated stand-alone government bodies on ICT, but it will also drive the modernization of business processes at a horizontal level and establish the necessary criteria for the Philippines to remain a global leader in the IT-BPM-KPM sector,” the letter read.

The letter was signed by the presidents of the American Chamber of Commerce, Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of the Philippines, Inc., Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters, Inc.

The JFC letter also said that E-governance can be implemented more effectively with such a focused government agency, resulting in increased transparency, efficiency, clarity for foreign investors and a significant decrease in the administrative burden of companies.

The letter also outlined the importance of creating a DICT in the aspects of data protection, cyber security, as well as the increased efficiency and the reduction of costs for the government

“The establishment of a DICT will ensure that the Philippine business environment can enjoy the benefits of one more landmark bill before the end of the current administration,” the letter also read.

“In addition to our full support for the establishment of a DICT, we would like to reiterate that the foreign business community in the Philippines is wholly committed to actively supporting the implementation of a future DICT law, to ensure that the creation of a DICT translates into overarching benefits for the competitiveness of the Philippine economy at a regional and global level,” the letter added.

On June 1, Senate Bill No. 2686 -- the upper chamber’s counterpart bill -- was passed on third reading. Lawmakers at the House of Representatives have yet to come out with a committee report pending deliberations. 

Source: Business World