Still no new DICT team after order for courtesy resignations

The deadline for the “courtesy resignations” of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) officials expired on Friday without any update on the new team for the agency.

New DICT Secretary Henry Aguda ordered the resignations through a memorandum issued March 31, or a week after he assumed the vital government portfolio.

“In the exigency of service and in order to give the undersigned free hand to perform his duties and functions, all incumbent undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors of the DICT are hereby directed to tender their unqualified courtesy resignations,” the memorandum reads.

Current officials

Currently, Paul Mercado serves as undersecretary for special concerns; Heherson Asiddao, undersecretary for support services; Jeffrey Ian Dy, undersecretary for infostructure/management, cybersecurity and upskilling; David Almirol Jr., undersecretary for e-government; and Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, undersecretary for ICT industrial development.

The assistant secretaries are Gerald James Reyes (planning and procurement), Maria Teresa Camba (regional development), Philip Varilla (infostructure management), Wilroy Ticzon (consumer protection), Edwin Ligo (management information systems service) and Renato Paraiso (legal affairs).

The new DICT chief previously served as president of UnionDigital Bank. He was also board chair of City Savings Bank and UBX Philippines.

Aguda was also engaged in the telecommunication and technology industries.

Aguda replaced Ivan John Uy, who tendered his resignation this month after three years of service.

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Internet deal

Last month, the DICT said it was in talks with a satellite internet company that can provide 200Mbps (megabit per second) of connectivity to 10,000 schools for P1.5 billion per year under a 10-year contract.

This amount is P5 billion cheaper than the current contract price of P6.5 billion annually for only more than 7,000 locations.

By the first half, the DICT is targeting to launch two more phases of the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) project, which seeks to improve connectivity in southern Luzon and certain parts of Visayas and Mindanao.

The NFB phase 1 was fired up last year. It spans 1,245 kilometers from Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, to Quezon City, supporting 3,000 free Wi-Fi spots in Ilocos region, Central Luzon and Metro Manila.