City mayor John Geesnell Yap II (front row, 2nd from right) is with First Lady Jane Yap (to the left of the city mayor) as they attend a workshop facilitated by the Department of Information Communications Technology (DICT) and by other members of the Tagbilaran Information Communications Technology (ICT) Council. Others in the photo are City Councilor Nerio Zamora II (front row, extreme left) and Mariano Tambis (to the right of the city mayor). Tambis is the Tagbilaran City Information Technology (IT) chief. Contributed photo
The Department of Information and Technology (DICT) has chosen 25 locations from all over the Philippines in order to transform these areas into bustling Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) destination hubs.
Tagbilaran City is included in the list, along with the localities of Balanga in Batangas, Cabanatuan, Dagupan, General Santos, Iligan, Iriga, Laguna, Laoag, Legaspi, Malolos, Metro Cavite, Metro Rizal, Olongapo, Puerto Princesa, San Fernando La Union, San Fernando Pampanga, San Jose Del Monte, Tacloban, Tarlac, Tuguegarao, Urdaneta, and Zamboanga City.
Dubbed as the Digital Cities 2025, the program aims to strengthen the readiness of these localities in hosting IT-BPM businesses by creating and developing information communications technology (ICT) hubs.
The program is being implemented by the DICT in cooperation with the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC).
Former DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II in a statement said “Your DICT is cooperating with industry experts to strengthen the 25 Digital Cities and promote dynamism in the local economic environment. The plan is for industry experts to be ambassadors through various interventions to help reinforce the role of the IT-BPM industry in economic growth.”
The DICT will provide the 25 local government units included in list of Digital Cities for 2025 with the necessary support in four key areas such as institutional development, talent attraction and development, infrastructure development, and marketing and promotion.
These interventions are geared to help these chosen localities achieve their full potential in the context of the government’s pursuit for countryside development and inclusive growth.
On Nov. 25, 2021, the Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) chairman on the Committee on Information and Technology Councilor Nerio “Butchie” Zamora II led the members of the Tagbilaran ICT Council in a workshop to prepare its strategic roadmap and plans.
DICT Focal Person and Information Officer I Joshua Eleazar Domen led the one-day workshop, reports say.
City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II thanked the members of the Tagbilaran ICT council for their active participation in laying the groundwork to help the city reach its potential as an ICT hub.
“The IT industry has been the lifesaver in the city during the pandemic. Amidst the health crisis, the [Business Process Outsourcing] BPOs provided local revenues and employment. Thus, your work today will be beneficial to the future generations to come,” Mayor Yap said.