Faster actions at the DICT

“Boss, thank you po. Nandito pa po ako,” the DICT Secretary quipped as he acted out a salute.

Despite being newly installed in office just last March 20 this year, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) “acting” Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda promptly submitted his courtesy resignation from the Cabinet of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM). Demanded by the appointing authority in an order issued by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin last May 21, Aguda was one of the first Cabinet officials who submitted courtesy resignations to Malacañang the very next day.

On the eve of his confirmation hearing before the Commission on Appointments (CA) last Tuesday, Aguda, along with fellow newly appointed Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vivencio Dizon and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz each received phone calls from the Executive Secretary.

The three got appointed by PBBM, one after the other, during the recess of the 19th Congress. Hence, they held their respective posts on ad interim basis until and unless approved by the CA. Resuming sessions, the CA subcommittee chairman Sen. Joel Villanueva first asked individually the three Cabinet officials if they have been reappointed to the Marcos Cabinet.

Aguda and Dizon reported to the 25-man bicameral body that Bersamin personally informed each of them PBBM did not accept their courtesy resignations. Except for Ruiz who admitted being told by the Executive Secretary to stay on at the PCO until further notice. After three hours of grilling, the appointment of Dizon breezed through the CA. Due to lack of material time, the appointments of Aguda and Ruiz will be taken up next week before sessions adjourn sine die on June 13.

Later that day, Bersamin confirmed that indeed both Dizon and Aguda were among the 21 officials whose courtesy resignations were declined by PBBM. Appearing the next day in our Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum livestreamed via our Facebook page, Aguda welcomed the announcement of Bersamin.

“Boss, thank you po. Nandito pa po ako,” Aguda quipped as he acted out a salute.

Aguda wishes he would eventually get through the CA wringer with the new paradigm he has initiated since he took the helm of the DICT." He replaced DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy who resigned from his post last March 6. Long before he joined the Cabinet, Aguda has been actively part of PBBM’s Digital Infrastructure Sector in the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) headed by Sabin Aboitiz as Convenor. PBBM regularly convenes the PSAC at Malacañang twice a month.

Aguda was then the senior executive vice president, among other positions, at Union Bank of the Philippines under the Aboitiz Group of companies. A lawyer by profession, Aguda also worked with technology and telecommunications sectors with specialization in digital transformation, digital banking and financial crimes.

Thus, among Aguda’s immediate priorities included undertaking serious efforts to clean up and protect the cyberspace in the Philippines from digital threats and other online harms like illegal gambling in various platforms here and abroad. Aguda vows to take firmer hands in dealing with international platforms providers like Meta, Google and TikTok for swifter takedown of “fake news” and dis-information and mis-information going viral in social media.

On the occasion of June as the designated National ICT Month in our country, Aguda disclosed having lined up various activities, including the launching of several big-ticket projects that will implement major administration initiatives that Congress passed and signed into law by PBBM.

According to him, the DICT will come out this month with clearer and harmonized policies to help telcos effectively block SIM (subscriber identity module) cards of subscribers that are being used in text scams, illegal gambling operations and other online scam hubs. He had met last May 30, with the respective heads of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the National Privacy Commission (NPC) and telco executives on the matter of  more effective enforcement of the SIM Card Registration Law in 2022.

At the same time, the DICT Secretary vows to speed up the internet highway in the Philippines with the “cooperation” of the giant local telecommunications companies (telcos) such as PLDT, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, Inc., PT&T Corp., and Dito Telecommunity.

He likened his entry in the government as having joined a very big organization of public service. While he was still in the private corporate world, Aguda revealed his work style of holding “town hall” meetings with stakeholders. He believes there are better results when there are consultations being done before undertaking any drastic actions or policy reforms.

“For now, we request them to cooperate. If they will not self-regulate, then we will escalate,” he warned. Hence, there will be cooperation from all concerned.

When PBBM appointed him, Aguda swore to respect the security of tenure of civil servants at the DICT. He found out the DICT has more than 4,000 personnel all over the country. But the four undersecretaries who are all presidential appointees like him have tendered their respective courtesy resignations. So far, he has recommended fellow lawyer Sarah Sison as Undersecretary for communications.

The 56-year-old Aguda shared to us what he calls as “action registry,” or his daily list of activities to make sure things get done at the DICT in the remaining three years of the Marcos administration. It is actually a “to-do list” that he and his staff must tick off or mark whether it has been done or remains undone. He cited this is the practice he learned from his mother which he replicated everywhere he worked.

According to him, his late mother – a former high school principal – checked each task planned out for the day if done or not. “I live at the house of the school principal, so I’ve learned by heart to follow it,” Aguda chuckled but with a glint of sadness. Aguda lost his 82-year-old mother just 40 days ago.

Aguda beamed proud of having instituted the same daily “to-do list” to his DICT family. His staff told him they have been doing this for the past 75 days since they joined him in office. Can the public expect faster actions now at the DICT?