CONSIDERING its proximity to the National Capital Region (NCR), many other highly urbanized municipalities are gearing up to transform into a ‘digital city’ in an apparent effort to reap from the information technology-related investments that Metro Manila could no longer accommodate.
o date, three localities in the province of Rizal are already on the government list of digital cities – Antipolo City and the towns of Taytay and Cainta.
According to Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, banner year 2025 will soon be offering more locally available jobs in the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector.
Tagged “Digital Cities 2025: A Brighter Future Awaits in the Countryside,” the program was created through a partnership between the DICT, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), and Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC).
The Digital Cities program aims to strengthen the countryside's ICT industry and promote digital cities as viable IT-BPM destinations locally and internationally to boost job creation and revenue generation within five years.
The DICT identifies a locality as a ‘digital city’ if they have reached the program's four parameters reflecting priority areas for investors and locators: talent availability, infrastructure, cost, and business environment.
Aside from Antipolo, Taytay and Cainta, others on the list include Balanga City, Batangas City, Cabanatuan City, Dagupan City, General Santos City, Iligan City, Iriga City, Laguna Cluster (San Pablo, Calamba, and Los Baños), Laoag City, Legazpi City, Malolos City, Metro Cavite (Bacoor City, Imus, and General Trias), Olongapo City, Puerto Princesa City, Roxas City, San Fernando, La Union, San Fernando City, Pampanga, San Jose Del Monte City, Tagbilaran City, Tarlac City, Tuguegarao City, Urdaneta City, and Zamboanga City.
According to DICT, the program will also focus on some points of action: institutional development, talent attraction and development, infrastructure development, and marketing and promotion. This will involve strengthening ICT councils, sharing best practices, launching awareness campaigns, and facilitating infrastructure initiatives.
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