Tagbilaran City is now poised to become an information and communications technology (ICT) hub after it was named as among the 25 Digital Cities of 2025.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology and the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) revealed on Tuesday that Bohol’s capital city and 24 other cities will be at the center of the country’s IT and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry development outside of Metro Manila.
According to IBPAP President Rey Ulnar, the cities were chosen based on four parameters—talent availability, cost, infrastructure and business environment.
Other cities in the list are the following:
- Balanga
- Batangas
- Cabanatuan
- Dagupan
- General Santos
- Iligan
- Iriga
- Laguna Cluster (Calamba, Los Baños, San Pablo)
- Laoag
- Legzaspi
- Malolos
- Metro Cavite (Gen. Trias, Imus, Bacoor)
- Metro Rizal (Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay)
- Olangapo
- Puerto Prinsesa
- Roxas
- San Fernando, La Union
- San Fernando, Pampanga
- San Jose del Monte
- Tacloban
- Tarcla
- Tuguegarao
- Urdaneta
- Zamboanga
Ulnar said that the prospective digital hubs will be getting the assistance of the DICT, other government agencies, local government units, academic institutes and industry players to support their growth in the fields of institutional, infrastructure and talent development and marketing and promotion.
“We will be able to gauge what kind of additional interventions each one will need to ensure progress and development.
“These will include the strengthening of ICT councils, sharing of best practice, launching of awareness campaigns and facilitating infrastructure initiatives,” he said.
The ICT development program is seen to spur growth and generate employment in the countryside and eventually decongest Metro Manila.
Ulnar hopes that the pushing development in these cities would entice existing industry players to expand outside of Metro Manila and encourage new businesses to set up shop in the country.
“We have already engaged conversations with key personalities and organizations so that we hit the ground running with Digitla Cities 2025 and facilitate growth and expansion in the countryside,” he said.
Digital Cities 2025 was previously called Next Wave Cities.
The program was developed to determine the industry-readiness of new centers by creating and developing ICT hubs in identified locations.
These ICT hubs shall serve as business and innovation centers to draw in investments that can be expected to create more jobs and other economic opportunities in areas outside the National Capital Region.