Japan honors former NTC commish with ‘Order of the Rising Sun’ award

By Mike Policarpio

Chairperson of the Commission on Audit Gamaliel A. Cordoba, who was the former NTC commissioner from 2009 to 2022, received the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon” in a conferment ceremony on July 19 at the residence of the envoy of Japan.

The award was conferred on Cordoba by Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa on behalf of His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan in recognition of the former’s vital role in the adoption of the ISDB-T, or Integrated Service Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial service, in the Philippines.

The Embassy of Japan cited Cordoba’s close coordination with the Japanese public and private sectors during his tenure as NTC chief, which successfully led the efforts for the seamless launch and dissemination of ISDB-T in the country.

“Without Commissioner Cordoba’s visionary leadership and unwavering dedication, the deployment and dissemination of ISDB-T in the Philippines certainly would have never materialized,” Koshikawa said in his congratulatory message.

‘All time high’ engagements

THE ambassador acknowledged the current relations between Japan and the Philippines as “at an alltime high, especially in the realm of information and communications technology,” driven by the diligence and enthusiasm of the NTC’s former chief. That served as the catalyst for the advancement of the local telecommunications sector during his 13-year tenure in the commission.

The two countries’ cooperation in the said field, he said, made remarkable strides with the landmark adoption of the ISDB-T: the Japanese digital terrestrial TV standard. The technology has been promoted globally due to its excellent function in disaster-risk prevention and mitigation, as well as emergency broadcasts.

Japan’s envoy acknowledged Cordoba’s tireless efforts, as the technology was deemed suitable for local adoption in 2013. That led to the ISDB-T’s subsequent smooth local implementation, given its multidimensional benefits.

The diplomat shared that Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) as well as the NTC have conducted several joint working group consultations, where the former commissioner led the Philippine side.

Fully cognizant that enhancing the Philippines’s disastermanagement capacities are key priorities of the Marcos Jr. administration, he pointed out the ISDB-T’s alignment with such, given its early warning detection system or EDWS features, which are key to disaster preparedness in the Philippines.

Looking ahead, Koshikawa said his country’s government is keen on working closely with its Philippine counterpart to further promote the expansion of ISDB-T, “building on the strong foundation laid by Commissioner Cordoba.” He also disclosed the participation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in carrying out the implementation.

Toward full digitalization

ON November 4, 2013, Cordoba formalized the NTC’s Memorandum Circular 511-2013 which ordered the adoption, with finality, the ISDB-T as the “digital TV standard in the Philippines.”

During the conferment rites, he revealed that digital TV coverage na-