THE 18TH Congress recently concluded its work. And despite the pandemic, we can say that a lot has been accomplished across three very tumultuous years. As Chairman of the Committee on Finance, we ensured that the budget was enacted on time. More importantly, in response to COVID-19, we increased funding for life-saving health services and products like vaccines, as well as for crucial assistance such as fuel subsidies and other forms of much-needed ayuda â without sacrificing other government projects or programs.
Meanwhile, in the other committee that I head, the Committee on Youth, we recognized the need to pay attention to the welfare of young Filipinos who faced their own challenges in the past two years under the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apart from the matters referred to the two committees we chair, we also pushed for a number of bills on digital transformation that we strongly believe must be institutionalized to prepare our country and its people for the future. The bills we filed were a product of numerous consultations with the different stakeholders from both the government and private sector, who all acknowledged the necessity of preparing the country towards what is rapidly becoming a digital world.
These include SBN 1470: National Digital Transformation Act; SBN 1472: eHealth System and Services Act; SBN 1764: Use of Digital Payments Act; SBN 1943: Information and Communications Technology Officer Act; SBN 1944: Science and Technology Parks Act; and SBN 1834: Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act.
Regrettably, only one of the abovementioned billsâthe Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, was approved by the Senate on third and final reading. The good news is that our counterparts in the House of Representatives adopted the Senateâs version of the bill, thus facilitating its transmittal to Malacañang for review and signing by the President.
The bill is a substitution of SBN 1469 or the National Digital Careers Act that we filed in 2020 as recommended by the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resource Development chaired by the hardworking and now reelected Senator Joel Villanueva. It provides a framework for the development of the digital workforce to ensure that Filipinos are equipped with digital and 21st century skills.
Our experience in the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to upskill the Filipino workforce for them to cope and adjust to the changes in the workplace. In fact, the pandemic accelerated the development of digital skills among our workforce, even at the most basic levels, when almost all the employers implemented work-from-home arrangements to ensure continuity in their operations when restrictions on mobility were imposed by the government.
But more than just learning basic digital skills such as operating a computer or telecommuting by means of a smartphone, Filipinos should learn more complex skills that will prepare them for the rapidly changing demands of the workplace and improve their competitiveness.
The bill provides for the establishment of an Inter-Agency Council for Development and Competitiveness of Philippine Digital Workforce that will be chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority. It will serve as the primary planning, coordinating and implementing body in the promotion, development, enhancement and competitiveness of the Philippine digital workforce.
Local government units will play an important role in promoting the growth and development of digital technology, digital careers and innovations in their respective communities. The Department of Trade and Industry is mandated to help establish co-working or shared service facilities to support the development and enhancement of digital skills and competencies of the workers and future members of the workforce. The Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Information and Communication Technology are tasked to assess the readiness of all municipalities, cities, provinces and regions to ensure a thriving digital workforce ecosystem and to ensure that they all have the necessary ICT infrastructure in their respective jurisdictions.
Once enacted into law, this measure will greatly help the incoming Marcos administration in fulfilling one of its priority programs: to develop digital infrastructure and promote digital transformation. Rest assured that I will be re-filing the other digital bills and similar measures in the 19th Congress to help with this goal.
Equipping our people with the necessary digital skills will help them become more competitive, particularly in securing jobs, many of which now require digital competencies. A whole of nation approach is needed to ensure that everyone is not only numerate, literate, and critical-minded, but also digitally savvy. We cannot afford to stand idly by while the world around us is rapidly moving towards digital.
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Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 18 yearsâ9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 9 as Senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 250 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.
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Email: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com | Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara/PN
