President Benigno Aquino III signed into law on Monday Republic Act 10844, creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology and effectively transferring to it certain agencies that used to be under the Department of Transportation and Communications.
The new law ensures the provision of a strategic, reliable, cost-efficient and citizen-centric information and communication technology infrastructure, systems and resources as instruments of good governance and global competitiveness, Aquino said.
It will ensure universal access to quality, affordable, reliable and secure ICT services, he said.
The law aims to promote the development and widespread use of emerging ICT and speed up the convergence of ICT and ICT-enabled facilities.
Under the law, the DICT will be headed by a secretary, who will be assisted by three undersecretaries and four assistant secretaries.
The new law transfers to the newly created DICT the following agencies: Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO); National Computer Center (NCC); National Computer Institute (NCI); Telecommunications Office (TELOF); National Telecommunications Training Institute (NTTI); and, all operating units of the Department of Transportation and Communications with functions and responsibilities dealing with communications.
As a result of the creation of this new department, the law renamed the present DoTC as the Department of Transportation.
The DICT law provides for a six-month transition period from effectivity for the full implementation of the transfer of functions, assets and personnel.
