SONA 2009

As what I have heard about a 9 pages SONA of the President last month, these are the things that I think areas that could be related to ICT.

I’ve got some excerpt down here from the SONA of the President.

“In technical education and skills training, we have invested three times that of three previous administrations combined. Narito si Jennifer Silbor, isa sa sampung milyong trainee. Natuto siya ng medical transcription. Now, as an independent contractor and lecturer for transcriptions in Davao, kumikita siya ng P18,000 bawat buwan. Good job, Jennifer.”



-From the previous SONA, the President also mentioned about this technical education and skills training that the Malacañang have been working on. Let’s accept the fact that not all people are given the chance to study much higher education in Colleges and University. So with this technical education and skills training they are offering, a lot of unprivileged people will be having a chance to prove their selves. These programs is very applicable especially to those out of school youth. Not to underestimate them, but I think through these programs, a lot of them would have great opportunities. To have a job and earn much enable them to help their families. Even though they are not a degree holder, still equal chance are given, especially to those highly skilled people such as Jennifer, a medical transcriptionist of Davao City.



“Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today we are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional engines of growth. Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With earnings of $6 billion and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a Department of ICT.”


-This is such a great news to us, to have a Department of Information and Communications Technology. Thus, recognizing the great potential of ICT to create wealth for the country and the need to form a permanent entity that would promote the utilization of information and communications technology, and effectively coordinate and implement national and local ICT services. Department of Information and Communications Technology is important ,"For instance, the Digital Village project which will enable rural farmers to use the Internet to access information on prices of goods, land records, weather forecasts, local government database and other agricultural knowledge support - thereby boosting their agriculture productivity - has been dragging on for years. This is largely due to the lack of coordination among agencies with ICT functions," Sen. Ed Angara said in an interview. As stated, ICT is one of the frontier fields that will dominate the world - how we work, study and conduct business. That’s why it is such a great lost for us if we will be left out in the field of ICT. Since BPO have been mentioned on President’s SONA, a lot of hope for the people have been opened. Especially, to the people who are unemployed right now. Great chances are given by developing BPO’s and tourism sectors in the country. Business process outsourcing enhances the flexibility of an organization in different ways. Thus, helping a lot of Filipinos obtained job here and abroad.


“Sa telecommunications naman, inatasan ko ang Telecommunications Commission na kumilos na tungkol sa mga sumbong na dropped calls at mga nawawalang load sa cellphone. We need to amend the Commonwealth-era Public Service Law. And we need to do it now.”


-I think this one was once such an irritating problem especially for many cellular phone users. If the government could have a quick solution with this, there will no longer complaints about stolen load. As for today, Philippines is one of the most populated Cellular phone users. Used as means of communication, whether rich or poor, are using mobile phones. If cellphone loads are always stolen, it will become harder for the people to communicate. So this is a right track for the government to amend a new law about this matter. Helping people to have a clear communication with their loved ones, no matter how far.

Again, I just hope that all these things are properly implemented in order to bring improvement in every Filipinos life.