In today’s world, the term literacy is not just about learning how to read and write anymore. As the country charts its future toward the so-called “next normal,” presuming that this pandemic will end already, digital literacy in the Philippines will be of high significance and importance.
The level of digitalization at present may already be in an advanced stage, but do Filipinos have the skills and capabilities already to be fully functional, effective, and efficient and be called “literate” enough to use digital technologies? Are they digitally literate enough to use information and communication technology (ICT) to tackle issues related to gender inequality, education, health, even employment?
Heck, can Filipinos even connect to the internet properly and consistently?
Recent data from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the specialized agency of the United Nations about ICT, showed a surge in terms of internet usage to an estimated 4.9 billion in 2021 from around 4.1 billion back in 2019.
But despite this surge, connecting to the internet still remains unequal. An estimated 2.9 billion people have still never used the internet and of this number, 96 percent live in developing countries. “While almost two-thirds of the world’s population is now online, there is a lot more to do to get everyone connected to the Internet,” said ITU Secretary General Houlin Zhao.
Digital literacy for all Filipinos is the kind of dream that Computer Literacy, Innovation, Connectivity and Knowledge or simply “CLICK” wishes to achieve for Filipinos. It is about spreading awareness about digital literacy as a catalyst for change in many aspects of their lives, be it in education, employment, health, business and yes, more importantly, governance.
With CLICK, their legislative agenda with regard to digitizing government services is to let every level of government, from the national to the barangays undergo a digital literacy journey to keep itself at pace with technological developments in governance in the 21st Century. Perhaps, reinventing how the government provides services and opening up its eyes regarding its role in national development through legislation will fast-track its modernization/automation of services using technology to make the lives of Filipinos easier and better in the years to come./PN
