Philippines, South Korea partner to promote digital transformation, innovation

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has partnered with South Korea to pursue digital transformation and innovation efforts to drive economic growth.

In a statement, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said that it kicked off in partnership with the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) the inaugural meeting of the Korean-Philippine Economic Innovation Partnership Program (EIPP) on Jan 16 at the New World Hotel in Makati City.

Launched in 2020 by Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF), the EIPP is a multi-year, government-to-government policy and technical cooperation program to foster sustainable and mutually beneficial economic growth between South Korea and its partner countries.

Officials from the Korean and Philippine governments present during the launch include deputy director Byeongkwan Seo of Korea’s MOEF, director general Chul-ho Park of the KOTRA Development Cooperation Office, director general Sujung Lee of the KOTRA Manila Office, director Mu-hyuk Lee of the Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corp., Korean Embassy First Secretary Hyun-tae Song and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary David Almirol Jr.

During the inaugural meeting, plans were outlined for three digital infrastructure projects to be developed under the EIPP to improve information and communications technology in the Philippines.

NEDA Undersecretary for Investment Programming Joseph Capuno highlighted the partnership’s commitment to advance digital transformation and innovation projects, given its important role to the future of both countries.

“We are at the threshold of an exciting chapter in the partnership between the Philippines and Korea – one that promises to foster innovation, drive economic growth and create a lasting impact for both nations. With the signing of the MOU (memorandum of understanding) last year, we will now begin implementing the program with three projects from the DICT, which will pave the way for significant advancements in our digital infrastructure,” he said.

Projects to be pursued under the EIPP include the formulation of a National Communications Satellite Roadmap for the Philippines, the establishment of an implementation plan for the Philippine E-Government Master Plan and the establishment of an implementation plan for the Philippines for an Integrated Data Center.

Through the National Communications Satellite Roadmap, the aim is to establish a robust industrial ecosystem for the telecommunications satellite sector in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the Philippine E-Government Master Plan seeks to promote technology exchanges for an efficient e-government implementation strategy.

In establishing an Integrated Data Center, the Philippine government will adopt South Korea’s integrated information resource model, which encompasses its technical and strategic expertise in data center operations.

“I am optimistic that, through our combined efforts, we will pave the way for a future in which both our nations thrive in the global economy, driven by innovation, collaboration, and shared progress, as the Philippines transitions to upper-middle-income country status, hopefully by the end of the year,” Capuno said.