Japan, UN agency, DICT launch digital center in BARMM

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Two foreign benefactors and the Department of Information and Communications Technology launched here on Thursday a Digital Transformation Center (DTC) in support of efforts for commerce and trade in the Bangsamoro region to fully bounce back from the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chihiro Kanno, first secretary of the Japanese embassy in the country, Khalid Hassan of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is an agency of the United Nations, and DICT Assistant Secretary Wilroy Ticzon together led the event, held at the compound of the Bangsamoro Telecommunications Office in Barangay Rosary Heights 5 here.

Hassan, a Pakistani, and Ticzon took turns explaining to reporters then that the DTC project aims to support the digitalization of micro and small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in this city, which is the capital of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and in provinces around.

The setting up of the DTC here is related with the ILO’s "Bringing Back Jobs Safely Under COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines; Rebooting Small and Informal Businesses Safely and Digitally Project," which is bankrolled by the Government of Japan.

Hassan told reporters during a dialogue here Thursday that digitalization is an essential intervention needed in improving MSMEs in BARMM, which, in effect, can bolster the southern peace process.

Hassan said MSMEs generate about 40 percent of jobs worldwide, but are mostly not performing well due to economic challenges and vulnerability to constraints such as the adverse effects of the Covid 19 pandemic.

“Most are trapped at low levels of performance and growth. It is something that we need to help address,” he said.

Two officials of the BARMM government, Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin Sema and Transportation and Communications Minister Paisalin Pangandaman Tago separately told reporters on Saturday that they shall support the DTC project, aiming to help improve commerce and trade in the Bangsamoro region.

“We have agencies under our ministries that can provide direct technical support for that facility if needed,” Sema said.

The Bangsamoro region covers the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato, where MSMEs generates employment for the local communities and from where local government units collect much-needed revenues.