Harnessing ICT for development

We may love our smart phones and we may have made the country the text capital of the world. But in general, we still have this love, hate and fear relationship with ICT. We love it when it works, hate it when it doesn’t and fear being victimized by criminals prowling for victims on-line.

We have yet to trust the computer, the internet and ICT. For instance, computerized elections should a simple matter but the level of distrust we have for that PCOS machine has the potential of seriously disrupting our democratic right to vote for our leaders.

Local banks have been having a spate of on-line bank robberies lately with helpless depositors wondering if they will ever get their money back. On-line privacy fears still stunt growth of ICT, in spite of a fairly good On-line privacy law. That’s because the law remains without implementing rules and regulations years after it was passed by Congress.

But there is no escaping the need to get on board the ICT bandwagon. Indeed, we are now playing catch-up in this fast changing world. We could be leapfrogging our way to development via ICT but there are a number of problems we need to address to make this happen.

I attended a forum on the state of ICT in this country sponsored by the Management Association of the Philippines the other week. It opened my eyes to so much potential we should be focusing on. While we have made significant gains in the past, we shouldn’t be satisfied until we get to the next levels.   

An industry position paper or manifesto, as they call it, was presented by Karrie Ilagan, General Manager of Microsoft Philippines. The manifesto, which was still in draft form, is being put together with the help of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

In essence, the manifesto provides the strategy that we ought to employ rather quickly if we want to benefit from the fast changing world of ICT. I imagine that once the proposed Department of Communication and Technology is created, it will have its hands full because so much work had not been done quickly enough. The manifesto should be a very helpful guide to whoever will be appointed to head this department.

Technology, the manifesto points out, is always changing, constantly presenting us with new tools to improve our lives. We need to leapfrog and to successfully do this, we need an innovation mindset. Just acquiring the latest technologies will not be enough.

The industry manifesto talks of an ICT-powered prosperity. It is starting to happen. The BPO industry is expected to rival OFW remittances in the next two years as it exceeds $20 billion in earnings. Some 1.3 million Filipinos will be working in it by next year.

 ICT is also making it possible for a significant army of freelancers to thrive. They are now estimated at more than 1 million strong – a number that rivals the annual outflow of land-based OFWs. An on-line job platform lists the Philippines as the third largest in number of registered freelancers (next to the US and India) and the eight largest in total earnings growth.

One can imagine how much worse Metro Manila’s traffic problem would have been if we didn’t have this army of freelancers working mostly at home. And, as the Manifesto observed, this retention of talent within the country implies economic, social and other benefits that will impact the long-term foundation of Philippine prosperity.

What should we do to unleash the benefits of ICT? The Manifesto said it simply: clear the way for technology to flourish in the hands of the Filipino people.

How do we do this? First of all, expand access to affordable and high-quality broadband connectivity for all sectors, socio-economic classes and regions. “Connectivity is the foundation of the current phase of ICT innovation.”

I know… easier said than done. We have gained notoriety for having the most expensive but slowest broadband in the region. But the Manifesto is uncompromising on this point.

“Guaranteeing this connectivity will require multiple policy levers to nudge investment, interconnection, competition and innovation… We need a smart and responsive regulatory system that adapts to fast-paced technological change, while providing enough predictability to encourage long-term investments.

“Officials must ensure that regulation takes into account the convergence of communications technologies and incorporates principles of technological neutrality and open-access. Policy and legal frameworks that facilitate trusted computing, such as regulations on privacy, data protection and cybersecurity, need to be in place.”

The Manifesto called on government “to lead by example in using technology to improve its provision of public goods and services. Examples abound of how ICT can be deployed to automate government requirements and exponentially ease the process of doing business in the country.”

The Deputy Commissioner of Internal Revenue in charge of ICT also made a presentation, as did someone from the ICT office of DOST. My take away from their presentations is that they are trying their best to bring government into the digital age but they have serious problems with government procedures. They suggested, for instance, that COA auditors be given a full orientation on ICT so they can move faster.

It was not all lost for government that afternoon. It was revealed that the Land Registration Authority (LRA) is now implementing a program they call eTitle. Simply, they convert paper titles to digital form for storage in their computer data base.

That’s a good idea. For someone who had to go through the trouble of reconstituting my title after that Quezon City Hall fire in the early 90s, this eTitle provides an extra level of reassurance. I imagine, the eTitle also makes it more difficult to tamper and lose. LRA also claims eTitles address the risk-management requirements of banks and other institutions.

I also found out that the DOF has started using a start-up, Kalibrr, to screen applicants for vacancies in the organization. Imagine a government agency recruiting the best fitted, best qualified instead of the politically connected. Hopefully, the Civil Service Commission can adopt the same system soon to democratize employment opportunities.

Kalibrr is the brainchild of Paul Rivera who was born here but raised in the US. His tech start-up brought him back to the Philippines for good. Goes to show we have first world talent hobbled by a third world government.

That’s the case for DOTC’s LTO. Their computer system is simply crappy. Many of their offices cannot access the central computer and that makes it difficult to register cars and get driver’s licenses.

Two months ago, our driver was told to go to another LTO office to get our car registered for the year. Mar Roxas long announced they will change the system but nothing has happened so far.

The other thing we need to get busy with is education. The Manifesto observed that “the new generation of Filipino graduates will need a broader range of skills… those who are unprepared are likely to be left behind.”

To fully benefit from the digital economy, “we need to re-orient the educational system to cultivate a new breed of creators, not just consumers, of technology.” It was suggested that we must “focus on recruiting and training the country’s best and brightest to teach the next generation… upgrade science, technology and mathematics education (STEM) at all levels and increase the number of STEM graduates.

The K-12 educational reform program is seen going in the right direction, a necessary first step towards educating for a digital economy. But it is not seen as upgrading the quality of the educational system. They cited international metrics showing how Philippine education has fallen behind specially in science and math.

The Manifesto noted that we are proud of our high rates of basic literacy but competing in the digital world requires much more.

 “Countries that have successfully transformed their educational systems towards developing 21st century skills have learned that the key is to focus on teachers – recruit the best in sufficient numbers, train them well, improve their working conditions, enhance their professional prestige, raise their accountability in meeting clearly defined educational goal and, finally, free them to meet those goals in potentially innovative ways.

“Teachers are the most effective instruments of digital inclusion. If we are to train the next generation of technology innovators, they themselves must possess a familiarity with, if not a passion for, technology.”

In future columns, I will tackle the other areas of concern, notably expanded access to high speed affordable broadband. The thing to remember is… the future is here, ready or not. We owe it to our people to use ICT to improve their lives, give them meaningful jobs, be part of the digital world.

 Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco.