Make the Philippines more competitive with digital infrastructure
April 5, 2023Make the Philippines more competitive with digital infrastructure
CitizenWatch Philippines calls on Malacañang to issue, at the soonest possible time, an executive order to boost investments and building of digital infrastructure in the country. This is critical to our recovery and sustainable growth especially after the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposed EO should consolidate and harmonize existing plans and programs that were previously siloed. Our leaders should be guided by recommendations from the private sector and consumer groups alike. Specifically, the EO would gain much from the Bayanihan to Recover Act, or Republic Act 11494. It could also respond to the call of The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) which had cited the urgency of an EO to improve the processes of establishing telecommunication towers and other related infrastructure. It is good to know that industry leaders in the infrastructure sector are not just supporting, but actively taking part in the infrastructure programs of the administration. The private sector has been taking the lead and should further be empowered to bring the country’s digital and other infrastructure up to global standards.
The government should capitalize on this initiative by the business community to share their expertise for the purpose of nation building.
The country’s infrastructure gaps have definitely held us back. The Philippines ranked 48th out of 63 economies in the 2022 annual global competitiveness report of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Yearbook.
Because of this, we have not been able to attract as much investment as we’d like. This is capital not coming in, capital that should be invigorating our industries and creating millions of jobs for our young and skilled workforce. As a result, we are losing out to other countries in attracting and keeping precious investments.
Ordinary consumers will greatly benefit from the opportunities and productivity of digital technologies. It is equally important that these benefits be accessible to all Filipinos on a nationwide scale.