Academe initiates ICT Congress in Cebu

Facing a challenge to make ICT (Information Communication Technology) a highlight in the Philippine educational system, the government education sector in Cebu, led by Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has initiated a move to push ICT knowledge based system, through organizing an International Congress on ICT in Cebu next month.

The CHED, together with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Education (DepEd), and privately-owned Cebu International Distance Education College (CIDEC), have pulled their resources together to hold the International ICT Congress, which is expected to draw about 1,500 delegates from all over the Philippines and representatives from 40 countries.

CHED-7 regional director Enrique P. Grecia said that the holding of the Congress is an independent move of the three agencies in education sector, without being told by their respective offices.

"We wanted to update the academe, students, teachers, and other stakeholders in ICT on the latest trend in technology right now. We hope to provide knowledge buildings (academe), and the students to update and prospects in technology," said Grecia in a press conference to launch the Congress.

Since this move is independently initiated by the three regional offices of TESDA, CHED and DepEd, Grecia said the group had gained support from Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), to provide knowledge and financial support.

The group is expecting to spend about P15 million to organize the three-day Congress, which is set on November 16, 17 and 18 (2006) at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

This is the first time in recent years, that the government-managed agencies in the education sector in the regional level have organized such international event, without financial support from the national government.

The Congress is considered as the most appropriate and effective venue that all practitioners of e-learning, distance education, instructional designers, faculty, teachers and ICT trainers, would share information and experience on their ICT activities, discuss problems they encountered and explore possible ways of overcoming them.

Last month, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced the need of the Philippines to have ICT competent teachers in order to push ICT as an employment generator, and develop more ICT savvy graduates in the next few years.

Arroyo who was the keynote speaker during last month's government-initiated National ICT Congress, also held in Cebu, said that by 2010 all teachers in the public schools must be ICT competent. This means, that teachers shall be required to take an ICT Competency Exam, to gauge their technology know-how.

According to Grecia, the upcoming International Congress although independently organize by the regional offices here, shall also serve as a follow up on last month's National ICT Congress, attended mostly by teachers, school administrators, from all over the country.

Grecia said the International ICT Congress would focus on three objectives; which is identifying the key challenges in integrating ICT in education; Sharing information and experiences on the various global trends on ICT in accelerating development progress in education, and gaining insights on the important role of the teacher n the ICT environment through innovative teaching strategies.