DIGITAL CITIES 2025: A Brighter Future Awaits in the Countryside

By IBPAP

Early this year, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) teamed up with the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) for Digital Cities 2025.

The initiative, which continues the legacy of Next Wave Cities, aims to drive inclusive growth in the countryside by selecting high-potential areas throughout the country and transforming them into bustling IT and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) hubs within five years.

After months of extensive research and critical deliberations, the three organizations officially launched the 25 locations under Digital Cities 2025 in a virtual press conference. During the event, they also revealed the corresponding mid-term development plans that will make each one a top-of-mind destination for global investments.

The 25 cities under the program were chosen usinga scorecard developed by DICT and IBPAP as well asinsights provided by LPC that were based on a set ofparameters reflecting priority areas for investors andlocators: Talent Availability, Infrastructure, Cost, andBusiness Environment.

Balanga City | Batangas City | Cabanatuan City | Dagupan City | General Santos City | Iligan City | Iriga City | Laguna Cluster (San Pablo, Calamba, and Los Baños) | Laoag City | Legazpi City | Malolos City | Metro Cavite (Bacoor City, Imus, and General Trias) | Metro Rizal (Taytay, Cainta, and Antipolo City) | Olongapo City | Puerto Princesa City | Roxas City | San Fernando City, La Union | San Fernando City, Pampanga | San Jose Del Monte City | Tacloban City | Tagbilaran City | Tarlac City | Tuguegarao City | Urdaneta City | Zamboanga City

These hand-picked locations will get the chanceto demonstrate their capabilities as viable businesscenters through Digital Cities 2025. This will hopefullymotivate existing players to expand beyond theNational Capital Region (NCR), encourage new ones toset up shop in the Philippines, and ultimately, generatemore opportunities for Filipinos.

“Digital Cities 2025 aims to build the resiliency of theIT-BPM sector as an engine of growth for the Philippineeconomy. It also aims to bridge industry progress inthe countryside to strengthen local economies. The 25new locations, alongside the Centers of Excellence andestablished Next Wave Cities, shall serve as investmentdestinations for a thriving digital economy,” DICTSecretary Gregorio B. Honasan II said.

“The IT-BPM sector continues to be a priority for DICT and we are ready to support and take the lead in making the necessary interventions to ensure that these digital cities achieve their potential,” shared DICT Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Caintic. “By working together with other executive agencies, local government units, industry leaders, and academic institutions, we will enable each location to grow into Centers of Excellence that spur the development of other business sectors, de-risk Metro Manila concentration, create jobs, and boost the local economy.”

Some points of action that the initiative will be focusing on are Institutional Development, Talent Attraction and Development, Infrastructure Development, and Marketing and Promotion. This will involve the strengthening of ICT councils, sharing of best practices, launching awareness campaigns, and facilitating infrastructure initiatives.

“The launch of Digital Cities 2025 is a testament to the IT-BPM industry’s resilience and enduring role as a major growth driver of the Philippine economy,” said IBPAP President and CEO Rey Untal. “The countryside remains full of untapped potential and harnessing this can lead to countless more opportunities for continued expansion and sustained growth for the sector.”

Although the COVID-19 pandemic and Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) affected business operations across industries, LPC CEO David Leechiu foresees a surge in IT-BPM demand once the country and the rest of the world settles into the new normal.

“Philippine IT-BPM will be instrumental in the country’s recovery from this health crisis so we need to be ready for the demand to start gaining momentum. This will be critical in how the world views us as a long-term investment versus our ASEAN neighbors,” concluded Mr. Leechiu.

Despite the impact of the recent pandemic on the Philippines’ economy and business environment, both the public and private sectors are looking for ways to continue moving forward. Together with the Centers of Excellence and Next Wave Cities, these Digital Cities will bring the country a step closer towards becoming a more digitally-enabled nation, one that continues to be globally competitive and relevant as a prime investment destination.

In addition to the program, the digitalcitiesPH portal will also help translate potential to progress in the countryside by providing investors and locators with essential information on cities and municipalities all over the Philippines. This will help them better assess each location’s potential as a global business center.