Aquino signs into law bill creating Department of ICT

The long wait of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is finally over.

Yesterday, President Aquino signed into law the bill creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

The DICT Act of 2015 will also be known as Republic Act (RA) No. 10844.

“The DICT shall be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implement-

ing, and administrative entity of the Executive branch of the government that will plan, develop, and promote the national ICT development agenda,” the new law read.

Among its powers and functions include establishing a free Internet service that can be accessed in government offices and public areas; assisting in the dissemination of vital information essential to disaster risk reduction through the use of ICT; and ensuring and protecting the rights and welfare of consumers and business users to privacy, security and confidentiality in matters relating to ICT, among others.

The DICT shall be headed by a secretary, who will be appointed by the President. The secretary shall be assisted by three undersecretaries and four assistant secretaries.

The new law also provides that two of the three undersecretaries and two of the four assistant secretaries shall be career officers. One of the four assistant secretaries shall also be a licensed professional electronics engineer.

Moreover, the law also requires that the secretary, as well as the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, have “... at least seven years of competence and expertise in any of the following: information and communications technology (ICT); information technology service management; information security management; cyber security, data privacy, e-Commerce, or human capital development in the ICT sector.”

The new law likewise abolishes agencies, which will be transferred to the newly created DICT: Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO); National Computer Center (NCC); National Computer Institute (NCI); Telecommunications Office (TELOF); National Telecommunications Training Institute (NTTI); and all operating units of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) with functions and responsibilities dealing with communications.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), National Privacy Commission, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC), meanwhile, will be DICT attached agencies for policy and program coordination.

With the creation of the DICT, the present Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) shall now be renamed the Department of Transportation.

There will be a six-month transition period for the full implementation of the transfer of functions, assets, and personnel. However, existing personnel shall continue to assume their posts in holdover capacities until new appointments are issued.

The DICT shall also create a Chief Information Officer (CIO) Council and may also create industry and sectoral task forces.

The new law shall take effect 15 days after its publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation.

It was recalled that the DICT bill was transmitted to Malacañang last May 10.

The creation of the DICT is expected to beef up consumer protection policies to protect consumers against lousy service, and at the same time, ensure business users’ right to privacy.

It will likewise encourage the growth of the ICT industry by promoting investment opportunities for ICT firms, as well as by creating local and international partnerships to speed up industry growth and competitiveness.

The creation of the DICT is expected to help prevent the hacking of the country’s financial system and prevent voter-data breach and other cybercrimes.