The agility and ability of the government to provide interventions and policies are crucial for technology startup companies in the country to thrive amid the pandemic, according to QBO Innovation Hub and Ideaspace executive director Katrina Chan.
DICT director George Tardio said the government should implement mechanisms to support the upskilling of online and platform workers and institutionalize social protection mechanisms for them.
World Bank – Philippines senior economist Kevin Chua said the government should address issues and challenges in online work such as digital divide, the lack of digital infrastructure, and weak social protection schemes.
The “complex and multifaceted” nature of the digital economy creates tax issues, according to a study published by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
ADB chief economist Yasuyuki Sawada said accelerating the country’s digital transformation could lead to substantial growth in global output, employment, and trade.
Thomas Abell, chief of Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Digital Technology for Development, said the world might see an economic boom that will fuel digital economy as countries transition to the so-called ‘new normal’ once “the pandemic starts to recede.”
Former DOST secretary William Padolina said one way to improve teachers’ education is to train good elementary and high school teachers “who will be inspiring students to become scientists”.
DTI undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba said the pandemic has also forced traditional enterprises and startups to create new digital business models to diversify revenue streams.
A holistic approach to support the country’s current and future science and technology (S&T) workers should be a joint undertaking among various sectors.
