Country Brief, September 2012
Bringing Libraries into the ICT Policy Conversation in the Philippines Introduction: Citizen engagement and technology in the Philippines The government of the Philippines has demonstrated a commitment to inclusive growth through good governance and citizen empowerment.1 It joins other countries in the world in promoting the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Supporting a goal of sustained, broad-based development, the Philippines government has developed the Philippine Digital Strategy (2011-2016) as their ICT blueprint. The government recognizes the importance of ICT for citizens’ access to information, participation and empowerment, in pursuit of Philippine development goals, while being mindful of the lessons and the gains from other e-government initiatives.
Philippine Government ICT access initiatives to date include:
Philippines:
1,124
public libraries
•
Establishment of the ICT Office (ICTO) under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) (2000);
•
Creation of e-Government funding mechanisms to develop and support government ICT programs and initiatives;
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Establishment of government websites and online services;
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Creation of ICT access points such as the CeCs and the FITS Centers for citizens in remote areas.
Government programs have already established more than 1,400 Community e-Centers (CeCs) and Farmers Information and Technology Services (FITS) Centers to provide online information and services to those otherwise lacking access.1 These centers are located across the country, but many areas are still underserved, and many centers face challenges in maintaining service in the long term. Ensuring meaningful use of public access for Filipinos to participate in the development processes remains a major challenge. More than 70 percent of Filipinos still do not use the internet.2 Despite a steady increase in publicly accessible government information, many Filipinos are not aware of this information or how to access it. While this information is poised to benefit the population, an opportunity is being missed if institutions and staff that could help support learning and access are not being fully utilized.
Public libraries can be part of the solution The Philippines has approximately 1,124 public libraries nationwide, though currently only a minority of them are equipped with computers and internet connections and few have been involved in the programs described above.3 Were all libraries to offer ICT services, it could effectively double the number of public access points in the country. www.beyondaccess.net
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Public libraries, if coordinated with other information access programs and integrated into the country’s digital strategy, could potentially fill a gap in services that support community development. Libraries are found in urban and rural areas, including many of the country’s remote islands, and reach underserved populations such as low income, disabled, ethnic and other minority groups. At present, however, public libraries are largely relegated to a traditional role where students conduct research and obtain information from printed materials. They are not accorded much priority by national and local governments; thus, relevance and sustainability remain key issues. There is a need for public libraries to redefine their role and their desired impact for Filipino users in the 21st century. Good governance and public access to information The Philippines has consistently maintained a positive economic growth rate, but income disparities persist, as well as a lack of progress in meeting key Millennium Development Goals. President Aquino’s good governance agenda commits the government to address rising income inequality, an over-dependency on remittances, a poor investment climate, weak infrastructure and a cumbersome business environment through more transparent citizen engagement and government accountability.4 The government’s reform strategies work towards these goals. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the lead agency for the Open Government Partnership,2 is modeling transparency by openly publishing online the national budgets of all government agencies.5 The 2011 Philippine Digital Strategy includes goals seeking internet opportunity and digital literacy for all and support for the ICT industry and business innovation.
The creation of ICT access points – such as the CeCs – is seen as a means for citizens to have greater access to information, to reduce the geographical digital divide and promote inclusive development.6 The CeCs are funded under the National Computer Center, a national government agency currently reporting to the government’s Information and Communication Technology Office (ICTO). The same agency provides training and capacity building programs for government personnel at the national and local levels on ICT literacy, strategic planning, management and technical skills development. While libraries are eligible for these programs, they have yet to embrace them. Local Government Units are mandated to set up and maintain public libraries at the provincial, city and municipal levels as well as reading and information centers at the barangay level. But to date, public library development has been a low priority in the financial and social agenda of most local governments. In most cases the leaders are not aware of the potential that public libraries possess to operate as public access points. Community e-Centers are at the prerogative of local government leaders, but unlike public libraries there is no sanction for local governments’ neglect or inability to maintain CeCs; their creation and maintenance are not covered by any laws. This situation presents an opportunity to address sustainability – if more CeCs were integrated into public libraries, their administration would be covered by existing laws, budgets and programs. This would strengthen the sustainability and reach of CeCs, while allowing local governments to both comply with laws mandating library maintenance and providing convenient public access and learning.
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Public libraries are introducing new ICT services Public libraries in the Philippines have the potential to support, strengthen and build on the government’s information access goals as detailed in the Philippines Digital Strategy. Some libraries in the Philippines are already innovating in this direction – crafting a model that works for their communities that could be replicated throughout the country: • The Quezon City Public Library provides a wide array of services including digital access to legal ordinances, as well as computer and internet services that support the local government and the information needs of its citizens. College student volunteers join librarians in their outreach activities to barangay youth and remote libraries. • The Pasig City Public Library hosts an internet center for residents who use the facilities for education and seeking employment. It also houses an interactive science museum. The library conducts outreach programs offering knowledge content and other activities to promote environmental consciousness. • The Davao City Public Library works in partnership with local government. The library is an active participant in Davao’s ICT Plan, and is poised to play a pivotal role in the development of ICT-enabled industries and government services in Davao. • Bogo City, Cebu and Balangiga, Eastern Samar both already host CeCs and libraries together. Computers connected to the internet are offered to users not only to address their educational needs but also to find information for employment, government services and health needs.
Recommendations For the government: 1. Expand public access programs to include public libraries. While CeCs and FITS enjoy some sustained government support, libraries have been largely excluded from new forms of government support and partnerships. Public libraries should partner with existing CeCs and FITS programs, combining the physical infrastructure and the technical expertise of librarians with the model of the government-supported technology centers. 2. Increase access to local e-government services at public libraries. Libraries could help the government fulfill its obligations as part of the proposed Freedom of Information Act, providing convenient and widely available spaces where government information and services can be accessed and used. In order to achieve this, the personnel of public libraries must be included in related training offered by government programs. For public libraries: 1. Develop and promote a policy agenda to modernize public libraries. Continue regular discussions with local public librarians and other national government agencies. 2. Pursue partnerships with government agencies to support and expand e-government services offered by public libraries. Take advantage of government schemes and other funding opportunities that are not traditionally within the library purview. Filipino libraries could become model 21st-century destinations for public information access. Libraries should demonstrate their value in disseminating information on government services.
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3. Further explore partnership opportunities between CeCs, public libraries and local governments. The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) and the Department of Science and Technology’s Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO), along with the Philippine CeC Network, can work together to develop partnership guidelines to make public access points more relevant to the needs of the people and the local government. Notes 1. Community eCenter (CeC): Funded through government programs, CeCs are facilities providing affordable public access to ICT-enabled services and relevant content. It serves as a conduit for the delivery of government and other services. eSkwela Center: a community-based e-Learning Centers conducting ICT-enhanced alternative education programs for out-of-school youth and adults. FITS Center: a one-stop shop that allow access to a wide variety of information and technologies needed by agricultural extension workers, farmers, entrepreneurs, processors, traders, and other clients. 2. The Philippines is one of the founding governments of the Open Government Partnership: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/about
References 1. Lanchovichina, Elena, and Susanna Lundstrom. What is Inclusive Growth? PRMED, World Bank, February 2009. <http://siteresources. worldbank.org/INTDEBTDEPT/Resources/468980-1218567884549/WhatIsInclusiveGrowth20081230.pdf> 2. International Telecommunications Union. ITU World ICT Indicators Database. 2012. <http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/> 3. The Official Website of Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. “PIMENTEL SEEKS MORE FUNDS FOR LGUs.” May 9, 2012. <http://www. kokopimentel.org/index.php/news/view/pimentel-seeks-more-funds-for-lgus> 4. Asian Development Bank. “Philippine Economy to Rebound to 4.8% in 2012 - ADB Report.” April 2012. <http://www.adb.org/news/philippineeconomy-rebound-48-2012-adb-report> 5. National Economic and Development Authority. “Chapter 1: In Pursuit of Economic Growth.” In Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, 18-33. 2011. <http://devplan.neda.gov.ph/chapter1.php> 6. Commission on Information and Communications Technology. “The Philippine Digital Strategy Transformation 2.0: Digitally Empowered Nation.” 2011-2016. <ilearn.gov.ph/PhilippineDigitalStrategy2011-2016.pdf>
About Beyond Access: Beyond Access is an initiative of IREX, EIFL, IFLA, Makaia, Civic Regeneration, TASCHA, The Riecken Foundation, and READ Global, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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