The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will release the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10844, also known as the DICT Act of 2015, before the end of the month.
DICT undersecretary Jorge Sarmiento made the statement Thursday, Aug. 18, during the second public consultation on the draft IRR held at the agency’s head office in Quezon City.
“Hopefully, with these two consultations, which have been very fruitful, we can come up with a final version of the DICT Law’s IRR before the end of August. The IRR is important in order for the agency to be able to implement its programs and projects,” he noted.
Attendees to the event included representatives of government agencies and ICT industry players, who voiced various concerns such as data privacy and cyber security.
Sarmiento said that the agency remains open to suggestions and feedback from various stakeholders in terms of forming policies on various ICT issues.
“If they have questions or concerns on emerging technologies that they want to tackle, they have to tell us and then we will conduct a public consultation,” he said.
The first public consultation was held last August 5.
Signed into law by former president Benigno Aquino III on May 23, Republic Act 10844 created DICT as a separate department dedicated solely on ICT management and development.
Among the offices under the DICT are the Information and Communications Technology Office, National Computer Center, National Computer Institute, Telecommunications Office and the National Telecommunications Training Institute.
Agencies attached to the DICT are the National Telecommunications Commission, National Privacy Commission, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center.
Meanwhile, the DICT plans to establish a single portal for all government agencies.
“The idea about it is that there will be one portal for government agencies which will include all links to them. All you have to do is look for the agency that you would like to know, click the link and then all services of the concerned agency will be there, including documents and forms,” Sarmiento said.
However, there will be certain exceptions regarding the information which will be made available in the portal in compliance with the executive order (EO) on freedom on information (FOI) signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 23.
The DICT is also set to prepare its own FOI manual in compliance with Section 8 of the executive order which mandates all government agencies to come up with their respective People’s Manual within 120 days from the EO’s effectivity. — PNA
