IT commission lauds QC’s on-line barangays

The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) lauded a Quezon City government project that intends to interconnect all the 142 barangays and City Hall via the Internet beginning January next year.

Virgilio Peña, CITC chairman, told Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. during the inauguration of the Korea-Philippines IT Training Center in Novaliches that the program affirms the new title of Quezon City as the ICT capital of the Philippines.

"With its high concentration of ICT facilities and economic zones, extensive technical infrastructure, large number of ICT professionals and now the IT Training Center and the barangay internet project, Quezon City is indeed the ICT capital of the country," Peña said.

He said the project, which was recently approved for implementation by the Liga ng Barangay, covers Internet assignment of permanent-mail addresses to all barangay captains and officials, the creation of the Liga-QC web mail and setting up of barangay on-line services and on-line information relevant to the community.

"As the lead advocate of ICT, it is the CICT’s role to use and maximize technology for improved governance as well as develop human capital in order to foster business environments," Peña said. "We are truly pleased to note that barangays in Quezon City, headed by Liga president Councilor Xyrus Lanot continues to support us in harnessing ICT to generate more jobs and businesses and in raising ICT awareness in our community."

Nathan Zulueta, managing director of the Quezon City Business Registry Databank and president of QC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation (QCCCIF) presented the ICT program to the barangay heads during a recent convention at Puerto Galera.

Through the efforts of the QCCCIF, the Business Registry Databank project will be able to help interconnect all the 142 barangays in the city through facilities of PLDTdsl and e-PLDT Business Solutions that powers the database

Lanot said the ICT project will make Quezon City the first local government with all its barangays having Internet connection. This will be in support of the national government program to spread e-commerce and ICT down to the barangay level.

Through the project, barangay halls will become instant e-libraries and SME business centers. The flow of information and communication from City Hall to the barangays will now be faster and more accurate.