The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the University of the Philippines (UP) signed on Monday, July 21, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to implement the Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI) and reinforce UP’s electronic signature policy.
“Today’s ceremonial signing of the MOA between UP and the DICT is not just the recognition of a new undertaking. It is the reaffirmation of a strong, evolving, and deeply meaningful partnership rooted in shared values and public service,” UP president Angelo Jimenez stated.
Jimenez was joined by UP vice president for digital transformation Peter Sy in the ceremonial signing of the MOA held at the Board of Regents Room in Quezon Hall at UP Diliman. The DICT was represented by undersecretary for special concerns Christina Faye Condez-de Sagon and cybersecurity bureau officer-in-charge Rodil Aniban.
The PNPKI is an infrastructure to manage digital certificates, which can be used to digitally sign and encrypt documents and communications — improving the verifiable identification of an individual or entity and ensuring the security and authenticity of data.
Offered as one of DICT’s core services, the PNPKI aims to improve the delivery of government services to citizens by streamlining digital processes while enhancing the integrity of online transactions among individuals and government agencies.
The DICT currently serves as the sole Registration Authority (RA) of the PNPKI in the country. Through the MOA, UP will be established as an RA of the PNPKI in line with the university’s flagship program on digital transformation.
“By becoming an RA, UP is taking on a larger role in securing our institutional and national digital infrastructure. This enables us to manage digital certificates internally, and at the same time eases the administrative burden on the DICT,” Jimenez underscored.
Under the MOA, DICT will provide a resource person to train UP’s RA officers. It takes effect for a period of three years unless otherwise terminated through a written agreement by both institutions.
The PNPKI’s implementation would not only allow UP to securely store and access its records in line with global best practices but also “bolster the bid for digital transformation on a national scale,” according to Condez-de Sagon.
Sy, meanwhile, hoped that UP’s digital transformation efforts, including the partnership with DICT, would become a model that could be emulated by other state universities and colleges, as well as government agencies and even local government units.
“By building solutions across UP’s eight units and partnering with DICT, we hope to create something that can work not just for us, but for more people and more places across the country,” he said. “If we can make digital transformation work seamlessly for UP, we’re creating a blueprint for the entire Philippines.”
