Gawad Hiraya and Kursong Siber
FRAUD and cyber fraud are the most prevalent crimes today. The creation of more policies is currently “a slow and painful solution’ for anything that is a digital problem, as the nature of digital is viral and “on steroids.” In line with this, the marching orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are to secure the cyberspace of the nation, and thus we align, and we are capacitating the country, and most especially sharing with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) our initiatives, initially by developing specific skill sets needed to be cyber-safe. This is “Ang Bagong Pilipinas.”
The Philippines is the incumbent chair for the Asean Confederation of Women’s Organizations (ACWO) through the leadership of Ms. Cecile Dy, president of the National Council of Women of the Philippines (NCWP). In line with this, it is the honor and privilege of the Department of Information and Communications and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination (DICT-CICC), under the leadership of both Secretary Ivan Uy and Undersecretary Alexander Ramos, to partner with ACWO through the NCWP in promoting women empowerment in the cyber field during the annual celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, in the National Cybercrime Hub at BGC Taguig.
As committed by myself to ACWO during the ACWO event on Oct. 23-27, 2023, in Jakarta, Indonesia, the CICC will launch five cyber analyst courses to be offered to Filipino and Asean women in the law enforcement, counterintelligence, defense and intelligence, cybersecurity and the business sectors. We hope to develop women in cyber to create a safe cyberspace for Asean countries.
In this year’s celebration of International Women’s Day and the Asean women’s contribution to the field of cyber, the CICC is proud to launch “Gawad Hiraya at Kursong Siber: Recognizing Exceptional Women in the field of Cyber” and the “Cyber Analyst Course for Women” on March 8, 2024, at the National Cybercrime Hub (NCH) in Taguig, both online and face to face.
We will be recognizing the exemplary women in the field of cyber at the event. The courses will be part of the Homegrown Learning Management System developed by DICTCICC, where there is no personal identifiable information (PII) to be keyed in but only alphanumeric keys. Only the on-boarders know their identities to safeguard the learners. The content is created and managed by the ILCDB of DICT and CICC Education under Undersecretary Jeffrey Dy for DICT and myself for CICC.
The following are the criteria for the selection of awardees of the Gawad Hiraya 2024:
1. Leadership experience. Candidates should have a demonstrated history of effective leadership roles in anti-cybercrime initiatives with expertise in nation-building and having cyber-secure communities.
2. Impact and achievements. The nominee should have made significant contributions to their community, organization, or country, resulting in tangible positive outcomes or advancements.
3. Advocacy and empowerment. Consideration to women who have actively advocated for and empowered other women within Asean countries, promoting gender equality and women’s rights.
4. Innovation and creativity. Nominees who have demonstrated innovative thinking and creativity in addressing challenges or advancing anti-cybercrime strategies should be recognized.
5. Commitment to Asean values. Candidates should align with the values and principles of Asean, including promoting peace, stability, prosperity and regional cooperation.
6. Ethical standards. Nominees should uphold high ethical behavior, standards, and integrity in their professional and personal conduct.
7. Collaboration and diplomacy. The ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders and demonstrate diplomatic skills in navigating regional and international relations is essential as cyber is cross-border.
8. Education and expertise. Consideration should be given to candidates with a strong educational background and expertise relevant to their leadership roles.
9. Resilience and adaptability. Women who have demonstrated resilience in overcoming challenges and adaptability in navigating complex environments.
10. Potential for future impact. Nominees with the potential to continue making a significant impact on the Asean region.
11. Diversity and inclusion. To ensure diversity and inclusion in the nomination process, candidates from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and sectors will be considered.
The DICT-CICC partners with the Department and Budget Management (DBM) through Undersecretary Maria Francesca del Rosario, Philippine Commission on Women, and Julian Millan, Philippine representative of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC). As we are grateful as well for the continuous support of Renata Schenk of the UNODC to the DICT-CICCACWO initiative that furthers the cause to provide for a safe environment, we all are looking for “a brighter future for our children through the #womenincyber.”