Creation of unified gov't ICT body sought

Senator Edgardo Angara has filed a bill that would create a department in the executive branch of the government specifically dedicated to the growing Information and Technology (ICT) sector. Senate Bill No. 50 seeks to reorganize the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and divide it into two separate bodies, one dedicated solely to transportation and the other to ICT. “As the numbers of mobile and internet users increase, so do the malicious entities intent on taking advantage of the people’s openness to technology. To increase the safety and security of the millions of tech-savvy Filipinos, the government must be proactive in keeping up with the digital revolution sweeping the globe," said Angara, chairman of the Senate science and technology committee, in a statement on Friday. He said the proposed Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) shall be the primary administrative and regulatory body of the government tasked to promote, develop and oversee the ICT sector in the Philippines. It shall likewise be tasked to protect the country’s ICT industries against the growing number of security risks in technology. It shall also take over the powers, functions, funds, records, equipment, property, and personnel of the following departments which shall be demolished upon the creation of the DICT:

• Commission on Informatoon and Communications Technology
• National Computer Center
• Telecommunications Office
• All operating units in the DOTC with functions and responsibilities dealing with communications

On the other hand, the National Telecommunications Commission and the Phlippine Postal Corporation shall become attached agencies of the DITC, with the department also taking authority over the postal delivery services industry. SB 50 says that the DICT shall be headed by a secretary and shall be composed of the offices of the secretary, undersecretaries, and assistant secretaries. Qutong international security firm Symantec, Angara said online and mobile users were the main targets of cyber threats in 2010. He said incidents of web attacks increased by 93 percent from 2009 to 2010 while mobile phones were reported to have 42 percent more vulnerabilities against malicious software. “Now that we have the actual numbers that reflect how susceptible our computer systems are to cybercrime, we must try to protect Filipino users by giving the authorities the means and the power to oversee this industry," he said. — GMA News