The government and its partner institutions are calling for a more active participation from stakeholders in addressing the challenges in the usage of the internet.
The Internet Governance Symposium, organized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) and Internet Society – Philippines Chapter (ISOC-PH), sought to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of Internet Governance by local communities through a multi-stakeholder approach.
Different sectors such as the academe, civil society, government and technical communities were delegated in facilitating the exchange of information and best practices,
Emerging issues, concerns, and public policy issues relating to the Internet were also discussed for further recommendations.
Liza Garcia, FMA Executive Director, on Tuesday, said that the symposium is a follow-up of the first Philippine Internet Governance Colloquium held on October 2017, which provided a platform for local ICT and human development stakeholders to share best practices on Internet Governance.
However, several sectors were not able to participate paving the way for a nationwide Internet Governance Roadshow that started earlier this year.
“Internet governance is a multi-stake holder concern not just by the government, but also in the different civil society, academe and private sectors,” Garcia said.
She also said that Davao was chosen to be the center of the Mindanao leg due to the booming ICT industry.
“Davao has a vibrant ICT industry,” Garcia added, “The city government is one of the leading cities in Southeast Asia that is leading in the digital transformation.”
The FMA director also cited the city’s innovation on public safety, disaster resiliency, infrastructure, quality of life.
“We know that there is a thriving business outsourcing sector here,” Garcia said.
