A newly formed multi-stakeholder coalition of tech industry players and advocates in the Philippines is seeking to harness the power of technology to promote inclusive growth and development in the country.
The Alliance of Tech Innovators for the Nation (ATIN) was formally launched on Wednesday, April 13, at the Diamond Hotel in Manila with various executives and officials from the government in attendance.
Monchito Ibrahim, former undersecretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), is the lead convenor of the group.
“Digitalization will foster inclusive growth where financial services become more accessible to the majority. A collaborative effort between the public sector, business stakeholders, and MSMEs will help to create a digital ecosystem that drives development, long-term employment, and inclusive growth in the country,” said Ibrahim.
ATIN has identified three actions that must be taken to improve the lives of everyday Filipinos in the digital economy: enhance digital skills training and education, accelerate digital adoption and innovation, and promote digital trade opportunities.
Ibrahim said the launch is the coalition’s first step towards raising awareness on the state of the country’s digital economy as he stressed the pivotal role of multi-stakeholder initiatives for this growth.
ATIN, he said, aims to foster alignment between the public and private sector to coordinate efforts to drive greater digital economy participation among Filipinos, and to create an enabling policy and regulatory environment.
The coalition is also planning to host the ATIN Digital Economy Summit to sustain discussions and bring nascent issues, policies and initiatives for the Philippine digital economy at the forefront of public discussions by reconvening thought leaders in tech, and policy and decision makers in government.
“ATIN aims to contribute its expertise in the tech space to shape regulations and legislation for inclusive digital growth and development,” Ibrahim said.
“Following our launch event, the ATIN Digital Economy Summit 2023 will be a crucial next step to sustain multi-stakeholder dialogue to improve our digital infrastructure, assist MSMEs in adopting digital technology, and promote ease of doing business through technology, so we can build sustainable growth that will reach our communities,” he added.
At the launch, DICT undersecretary David Almirol Jr. told the attendees that the agency’s eGov Super App will be launched in the next few days or weeks.
The eGov super app, which is now on closed beta test, will bring most online government services in a single platform including the eTravel system which travelers need to use when leaving or entering the country.
