Bridging the

Information
Divide AGuidebook
Philippine

on ICTs for
Development

Erwin Alampay, Richard Heeks and Peter Paul A. Soliva

About the authors

Erwin A. Alampay is an Assistant

Professor at the National College of Public
Administration and Governance (NCPAG),
University of the Philippines. He teaches a
course on The Management of Information
and Knowledge for Public Administrators.
He is currently pursuing his research Ph.D.
at the Institute for Development Policy and
Management (IDPM) at the University of
Manchester.

Richard Heeks is a Senior Lecturer on

Information Systems and Development, at
the Institute for Development Policy and
Management, University of Manchester.
He is a British Council associate adviser on
information systems and Convenor of the
Development Studies Association group on
Information, Technology and Development
He has authored and edited many books
and articles on ICTs for Development,
including Reinventing Government in the
Information Age (1999) and Building e-
Governance for Development: A
Framework for National and Donor Action
(2001).

Peter Paul A. Soliva is a graduate of the

National College of Public Administration
and Governance (NCPAG), University of
the Philippines. He is currently working at
the Philippine Central Bank.
Bridging the
Information Divide:
A Philippine
Guidebook on ICTs

Erwin Alampay
Richard Heeks
Peter Paul A. Soliva

October 2003

National College of Public Administration and Governance,

University of the Philippines

Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM),

University of Manchester

This work was carried out with the support of the Asian Media Information and
Communication Centre (AMIC), and the aid of a grant from the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the Asia-Pacific
Development Information Programme (APDIP) of UNDP.
Bridging the Information Divide
 Contents
Introduction 2

The Role of ICTs 3

in Development

The Current State 9

of Access to ICTs
in the Philippines

Local Strategies for 13

Bridging Information
to the Last Mile

Financing Access 23
to Information

Potential Sources 26
of Funding (Chart)

‘I for an I’: 28
What Does Access
to Information Mean
to Individuals?

An Integrated Approach 30
to Tapping ICTs
for Development

Endnotes and Appendices 36

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 1

 Introduction

The passage of the E-commerce Act in computer and the Internet, among oth-
2000 has put pressure on organizations, ers. The guidebook reminds people that
especially government units, to com- ICTs are only tools, and do not guaran-
puterize their systems and provide tee the success of organizations and
more electronic services to their clients communities.
and constituents. Furthermore, with This guidebook is also intended to
globalization, economies are becoming help local leaders in planning strategies
more knowledge-based and informa- for tapping different ICTs to bring
tion-driven. To survive and be compet- information to people who are most
itive, access to information and com- deprived of access to it. Increased
munication technologies (ICTs), access to vital information will hope-
whether basic or advanced, is crucial. fully open new opportunities, and
This guidebook was developed to transform the lives of more people.
raise awareness and appreciation Last, this guidebook also provides
among development practitioners, some narrative descriptions of stories,
community organizations, local gov- cases and local initiatives in tapping
ernment units (LGUs) and ordinary ICTs for local development. These
people on the role of information and anecdotes and learning experiences are
knowledge in society. It also puts into intended to capture some of the local
perspective the role of ICTs as enablers knowledge that has been generated in
and places information at the center of our brief experience in documenting
its discussion. However, when dis- uses of ICTs for development.
cussing ICTs in this guidebook, a Hopefully, they could encourage and
broader and more inclusive definition inspire other people to develop better
will be used. ICTs could refer to radio, strategies for bringing information and
television, telephone, mobile phone, knowledge to the average Filipino.

2 Bridging the Information Divide

 The Role of ICTs
in Development
There are various views about the impact from the “minimum physiological
of information and communications tech- needs” to a set or package that cover (a)
nologies (ICT) on society and develop- needs which pertain to the basic necessi-
ment. On one side are the optimists who ties of life , such as food, water, clothing,
anticipate that ICTs will bring opportuni- fuel; (b) needs which enhance the gener-
ties and development. They argue that to al welfare of the people; (c) needs which
keep pace with development a country improve access to the means of produc-
must adapt to the rapidly developing tion and economic opportunities, such as
information economy. On the other side natural resources, capital (including tech-
are skeptics who caution about the widen- nology), employment opportunities and
ing gap between the rich and the poor income; and (d) needs which give a sense
because of the differences in their capa- of security and freedom for decision
bilities to access information through making, such as human rights, political
ICTs. participation, social security, social
It is feared that these differences leaves defense and rule of law.3 Based on this
out the majority from the electronic flow characterization of basic needs, ICTs can
of information.1 There are also those who be viewed as instruments that help enable
say that access to ICTs may be irrelevant people to satisfy their basic needs.
to the poor and could impact negatively Still, to the majority who have long
on the culture and lives of people. The been marginalized, the issue of access to
more pragmatic view, however, sees the information and ICTs may not strike a
future as being somewhere in the middle, feeling of urgency. For one, ICTs are lux-
with varied effects in different groups and uries compared to other needs like food,
regions across the world.2 water, electricity, healthcare and educa-
tion. Would resources be better spent on
Are ICTs Necessary? these critical needs? Why would some-
But, are ICTs necessary in the first one place a call when they could just as
place? Is the so-called information society easily write? Why is there a need for
what people want? Could it hasten global- computer when a typewriter could man-
ization and bring the end of other cultures age just as well?
and languages, as some people fear? The idea that societies have survived
To understand the necessity for ICTs, over time even without ICTs and thus
one must first answer whether the provi- need not change does not take into consid-
sion of this service is basic to the survival eration the fact that societies, like all
of the community. Basic services are organizations, exist in an environment that
“those activities that lead to the satisfac- is constantly changing. While ICTs may
tion of ‘basic needs.’ Basic needs range not be in the category of basic needs, the

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 3

 value society places on these commodities among people and organizations. It could
has changed over time because of their be transmitted through the phone, fax
growing scarcity and utility to people. machine, computers, or through the
“grapevine”. There will be greater effi-
Information as Asset ciency, better decisions, and more effec-
It is in the context of environmental tive use of resources if more accurate and
change that information has become crit- reliable information can be sent more
ical to today’s world. With a lot of rapidly to the people who need them.
resources that are becoming scarce, infor- This is what ICTs offer. Access to ICTs is
mation on how to access and use them about expanding people’s choices and
more efficiently has become important. not about making choices for them.
The same argument holds for the limited As such, ICTs could be a conduit for
opportunities that people, organizations delivering basic services like healthcare
and countries compete for. More reliable and education. It could help maintain and
and accurate information and knowledge build social capital by keeping people in
allows people and organizations to be contact and create networks of individu-
more productive, effective and efficient. als with the same interests. It serves as a
Information and knowledge expand the means for transferring different
choices on which decisions are made and resources, both financial and knowledge-
assist in poverty alleviation.4 They have based. It is also dramatically less expen-
become useful assets for development. sive, less time consuming and less dan-
Because of this, access to ICTs is vital gerous than the physical transportation of
in the development of many countries. people and information.7
Emerging policy environments and the Groups who anticipate these benefits
spread of new but cheaper methods of want countries to adopt appropriate poli-
ICTs have made access to information cies to take advantage of these opportuni-
more diffused. Its pervasive effects are ties. They envision that rapid advances in
seen to have implications for the labor ICTs could be the answer to bridging the
market, education, healthcare, cultural gap between the rich and poor. Advocates
and political awareness, governance and highlight the fact that newer ICTs, such
social cohesion.5 as the Internet and mobile telephony have
expanded and have been accessed at a
ICTs Expand Opportunities faster rate than previous technologies like
Access to ICTs can expand opportuni- the television and telephone. Thus, they
ties.6 This idea is based on the fact that foresee less developed countries as
people and organizations deal with infor- “leapfrogging” into the information age.8
mation in many of their daily activities.
All organizations handle, deliver and The Promise of
process information in making decisions, Electronic Gover-nance
developing plans, giving orders, and Electronic governance, or e-gover-
informing other people. Oral and written nance, refers to the use of information
communication flows between and technology in reinventing and transform-

4 Bridging the Information Divide

ing the way public services are conducted. fying programs. It also illustrates ICTs’
It is consistent with and a logical extension universal application, be it in developing
of the concept of reengineering, which or in developed countries, and by young
relies heavily on information technologies and old alike.
to dramatically change and improve exist- At present, e-governance initiatives are
ing processes.9 E-governance can there- looked upon as providing options for per-
fore play a significant part in the reinven- forming processes more efficiently. This is
tion of government in order to meet cus- similar to how people can do bank trans-
tomer needs and develop more anticipato- actions via automated teller machines
ry and decentralized governments.10 (ATM) while also having the alternative to
ICTs will impact on the way services deal with the teller over the bank counter.
are delivered, information is retrieved, The foregoing clearly imply that pro-
plans are made, and local governments viding universal access would be crucial
are run. ICTs already allow people in to the success of development initiatives
some countries to file their tax returns that use information technology to deliv-
online and obtain documents like birth, er public services.
marriage and death certificates, without Several countries already recognize
having to physically travel to the gov- this, as reflected in their policies on provid-
ernment agency assigned. In the ing universal service or universal access to
Philippines, computers are also used to ICTs. These programs are shaped by gov-
facilitate civil service examinations and ernment policies and by the strategies and
process drivers’licenses, while passports capacity of the private providers.
and birth and marriage certificates can However, the question still remains
already be processed via the Internet whether everyone is provided with the
(See Box 1: [email protected]). same access to ICTs or have the capabil-
Moreover, ICTs are useful for obtain- ity to use them. Any inequality that
ing needed data from the public. In favors those who are already advantaged
Africa, bushmen have been taught to use may just lead to the expansion of existing
a cyber tracker by clicking on icons social differences.
which are linked to a Geographic
Information System (GIS) that helps the Bridging the Divide
state monitor its animal population.11 The pragmatic view of ICTs and
School children in Idaho, use a similar development focuses on the “digital
technology is used in to map noxious divide” between those who have access to
weeds in their community.12 In local gov- ICTs and those who don’t. This can be
ernments, where 70 to 80 percent of the seen as a divide within a country, between
work involves land or geographically the rich and poor, male and females,
related issues, investment in good ICTs is urban and rural, educated and less educat-
needed to support land-related decisions ed, etc. It can also be a divide between
and help manage government services.13 countries, and generally refers to the digi-
Grounded information like these are tal divide between industrialized and
helpful in propagating policies and justi- developing countries.14 This divide is seen

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 5

 Box 1: [email protected]
The following are some local e-services already provided by the Philippine Government in
the Internet. The actual links could be accessed at www.gov.ph/eservices/default.asp.

Bureau/Department E-service
Advanced Science & Agency registration for the .GOV.PH domain
Technology Institute

Bureau of Customs Online cargo booking, customs clearance,

payment of taxes, duties and other fees

Bureau of Internal Revenue Filing and paying taxes online

Applying for a Tax Identification Number online

Commission on Audit Online facility to report fraud, waste, abuse

and mismanagement of government funds
Online queries related to government financial
transactions, accounting and auditing

Department of Budget & Management Provides access to the government’s

electronic procurement system

Department of Energy Online Contractor’s Permit Application

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Passport renewal application and

application verification

Department of Trade and Industry Applying for a business name online

and other services
Registering as an exporter or buyer
Filing consumer complaints

GSIS Online access to membership

information and claims

National Bureau of Investigation NBI services and online complaints

National Statistics Office Online application for civil registry

documents (Birth, marriage and death)

PAG-IBIG Fund Housing loans for Overseas

Filipino Workers

Philippine National Police Submitting intelligence reports,

requests for assistance and filing complaints

Securities and Exchange Commission Online queries regarding SEC registration

Social Security System Online access to membership contributions

and loan eligibility

6 Bridging the Information Divide

to increase unless pro-poor ICT strategies of literacy and health.21
are developed. This broader perspective Investing in ICTs
sees access to ICTas a more complex sys- While some hypothesize that the pos-
tem that affects social, political and cul- itive benefits of these technologies take
tural issues aside from the economic. time to form and be felt,22 the rapid obso-
Money, human capital and the proper lescence and turnover of these technolo-
economic environment are prerequisites gies could prevent people from actualiz-
for communities to benefit from the ing an increase in productivity. This is
opportunities that ICTs offer. The lack because technological change usually
thereof slows the adoption of newer occurs much faster than the pace of social
information technologies in most devel- and cultural change.23 This slows the abil-
oping countries.15 The slow adoption of ity of society to exploit them.24 As a
new technologies in some communities result, many nations have had difficulties
widen the division between the elites and integrating new technologies into exist-
the poor and the differences between ing institutional structures. Development
urban and rural areas.16 This could lead to practitioners need to balance the need to
more inequality and increased economic keep up with the technologies with the
and social polarization.17 costs, and ensure that social and cultural
The limited evidence that exists sup- patterns are not drastically affected and
ports these fears. Links between ICTs resistance to change is manageable.
and progress have not been proven. With the rapid development of ICTs
Initial studies even show that information the last two decades, many are led to
technologies can cause substantial believe that society and organizations
increases in inequality as a result of should be able to keep up.
greater demand for more educated and “Leapfrogging” falls under this overall
skilled labor and less for unskilled labor, belief. This may not be practical nor sus-
as well as the new technologies substitut- tainable, however. People easily fall into
ing for people.18 For instance, the intro- the problem of having “tunnel vision” and
duction of computer aided design (CAD) fail to see the social implications of the
and manufacturing has caused unem- changes that ICTs bring.25 In most cases,
ployment in traditional mass production the ramifications of a new technology are
processes.19 Numerous studies have overlooked since the primary focus is on
failed to find a positive relationship technological innovation, not commercial
between information technology and applications or long-term economic
productivity, and have even found that development. These issues directly
technology only substitutes for other cap- impact the selection of new technology.
ital goods to produce roughly the same Selection criteria for new technology
amount of goods and services.20 As such, must include the technology’s applica-
developing countries may actually be at a tion, projected life cycle, its costs and
great disadvantage, since their most payback in terms of useful life, and its
abundant and salient resource is labor, social, political and economic impact.26
which for the most part exhibit low levels Crucial to any policy on the adoption

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 7

 of ICTs, therefore, is the ability to striking physical provision of facilities, but
the right balance between investing in rather, should include the value people
new technologies and overcoming their place on these instruments and their
inevitable obsolescence. The rapid rate of capabilities to use them.
change does not have to be an obstacle to Policies on universal access to ICTs
developing countries nor something to be should logically begin with the informa-
dreaded. Technological obsolescence tion requirements of its users. Designing
should not be equated with operational information systems should be done in
obsolescence. In fact, “obsolete technolo- close coordination with the users and envi-
gies” can be acquired and utilized by ronment in which it is applied.29 It involves
developing countries as a springboard to understanding the nature of information,
newer—though not necessarily state-of the current information systems and the
the art—technology. Some even suggest information needs of the organization or
delaying ICTinvestments as a way of cut- community being studied.30
ting costs while reducing the chance of
being saddled with inferior technologies Summary
that quickly become obsolete.27 While this In sum, both the optimistic and the
idea goes counter to the idea of “leapfrog- less optimistic views support the propo-
ging” technologies, it still recognizes the sition that access to ICTs is crucial to
importance of good information systems. development. Information technologies
This is a practical view to have, consider- have become so diffused in many social
ing the limited resources at the disposal of and economic activities that it cannot be
developing nations who could ill-afford to ignored. The provision of ICTs is impor-
regularly upgrade its information systems tant because it expands people’s oppor-
given other development priorities. tunities. Giving access and helping peo-
ple learn to use them is crucial to prevent
The Human Factor the expansion of the gaps between the
Moreover, information systems and rich and the poor.
the technology that comes with it do not The move towards e-governance is a
exist in a vacuum. They are not limited reflection of the increasing role that
to the software and hardware, but information plays in the world today
includes the people who use them and and in the future. It highlights the need
the information they need. It is integrat- for development practitioners and gov-
ed with other systems, more importantly ernments to understand the role that
social and cultural systems that must ICTs have in delivering basic services.
embrace it to make it work.28 Therefore The challenge for universal access poli-
the question of providing access goes cies on ICTs would be to make sure that
beyond the question of affordability and it does not benefit a selected few, but
geographical accessibility. Access to that it provides equal opportunity for
ICTs should not begin and end with the everyone.

8 Bridging the Information Divide

 The Current State
of Access to ICTs
in the Philippines

“Information and Communication islands, and ICTs play a crucial role in

Technology (ICT) will play a key role in linking people across the archipelago.
the country’s development thrust. ICT has Also, with over 4.83 million Overseas
wrought swift and sweeping changes in Filipino Workers (OFWs), there is the
the global socio-economic order. As we need to keep migrant Filipinos in touch
look towards the information age, we with their families in the country. This is
must understand the implications of these aside from the need for Filipinos to inter-
changes on our society so that together act with other cultures, societies and
we can map out a sound strategy not only nations, especially since the country is
for survival, but one for success in this not geographically connected to the rest
century. I.C.T. and more specifically of Asia.
Internet technologies, are changing the Thus, in 1990, the Philippines pre-
way people around the world communi - pared a twenty year National
cate, live, learn, play and work.”31 Telecommunications Development Plan
(1991-2010). It listed some of the poten-
-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tial benefits that telecommunications
services provide, namely:
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s
statement on the role of information and a. Reduced transport cost
communications technology (ICTs) is and energy consumption
illustrative of how ICTs have entered the b. Reduced isolation
language of development in the of remote areas
Philippines. c. Improved response to
In the 1987 constitution it was stated national and personal
that “the State recognize the vital role of emergencies;
communications and information in d. Improved resource usage;
nation building” (Art. II, Section 24). e. Improved efficiency of
This role can be contextualized in view freight transport;
of the country’s geographic location and f. More efficient ordering,
socio-economic situation. The collection, and distribution
Philippines is composed of over 7,000 of agricultural and fishing

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 9

 products, particularly have entrepreneurial abilities suitable for
perishable products; the globalizing economy.33 As such, the
g. Better financial control; Medium Term Philippine Development
h. Improved feasibility of Plan (MTPDP) 2001-2004 says that
organizational decentralization; “technology is the foundation of the
i. Additional foreign exchange earn- Philippine’s future economic develop-
ing from export business aided or ment and the Philippines shall use ICTs
made possible by improved to leapfrog into the new economy.”34
telecommunications; How well the country’s comparative
j. Reduction in the advantage translates to actual develop-
need for personal travel; ment is another issue altogether. The
k. Maintenance of family ties; uneven level of development in the basic
l. Provision of health infrastructure of telecommunications in
and education services the country might contribute to an infor-
to outlying areas; mation divide between urban and rural
m.Reduction of migration areas in the country. This inadequacy in
from rural to urban areas. the country’s telecommunications infra-
structure is often cited as one of the main
As such, the diffusion of knowledge deterrents to (i) increased foreign invest-
and information has been an acknowl- ment, and (ii) investments in less devel-
edged strategy in nation building and for oped areas in the country (DOTC, 1990).
better governance. This is why the policy In 1989, of the approximately 1600
framework used by the government is municipalities in the country, only 35
geared towards “dispersing ICT capabili- percent were considered served, and 65
ties across a broad range of economic percent were considered unserved.35 By
activities and income groups … And as a 2003, only 58 percent of the municipali-
parallel social goal, ICT shall be har- ties were considered fully served, with
nessed to bridge the digital divide among the rest (42 percent) still underserved or
different regions and communities in the unserved.36
country.”32 Despite this, a number of factors
The government believes that the could be cited which has led to an
country possesses significant compara- increase in the access to basic communi-
tive advantages in ICTs because (i) the cation systems, namely: (i) establishment
Filipino workforce is English-speaking, of public calling stations; (ii) liberaliza-
highly educated, easily trainable, and tion of the market and increased compe-
skilled with a growing track record of tition; and (iii) advancements in the
successful ICTwork; (ii) the country has development of ICTs.
a basic policy environment that is right First, access has increased as a result
for business; (iii) the government is com- of state provision of ICT services in
mitted at the highest levels, with strong areas that had no basic telecommunica-
private sector support in the pursuit of a tions facilities whatsoever. Republic Act
common ICT agenda; and (iv) Filipinos 6849 (RA 6849), or the Municipal

10 Bridging the Information Divide

Telephone Act of 1989, called for the to the balanced flow of information, into,
installation, operation and maintenance out of and across the country.” This was
of public calling offices (PCOs) in each complemented by Republic Act 7925
and every municipality of the country (RA 7925), known as the Public
with no telephone service by 1992. Telecommunica-tion Act of the
Under this law, the Municipal Telephone Philippines, which was enacted in 1995.
Projects Office (MTPO) was created to It lifted legal and procedural impedi-
administer and facilitate the establish- ments for investment in the sector. Also,
ment of these PCOs. Five hundred fifty to speed up the installation of more
eight (558) municipalities and 37 lines, a service area scheme (SAS) was
provinces were assigned to the private built into the government’s basic tele-
sector and the rest were to be serviced by phone program (BTP) which required
the MTPO. Areas which the private sec- that cellular mobile telephone service
tor either leave unattended or abandon, operators to install 400,000 landlines in
also became areas under the MTPO. five years upon implementation of the
Funding for government projects under law. It also required international gate-
the MTPO were obtained from bilateral way facility operators (IGF) to put up
foreign sources.37 300,000 landlines in three years. This
Second, the opening of the sector to was done to fill-up the underserved
competition through more liberalized demand for basic telephone service in
policies to increase private sector partici- the country.38 Because of these policies,
pation has also helped in speeding up the however, some analysts see the local
diffusion of ICTs. This was spelled out in telecommunications industry as only
the National Telecommunications being “semi-open” market with “limited
Development Plan (NTDP) for 1991- competition” because these require-
2021 and the subsequent polices that fol- ments on dedicated geographic areas
lowed. On February 24, 1993, President restrict national competition and enable
Ramos signed Ex-ecutive Order No. 59, PLDT to exert its market power via its
acknowledging
that “there (was) a Figure 1. Telephone vs CMTS Density (1999 to 2002)
need to enhance Telephone Density CMTSDensity
effective competi-
tion in the 25
t e l e c o m m u n i c a- 20
tions industry in
15
order to promote
the State policy of 10
providing the 5
environment for 0
the emergence of 1999 2000 2001 2002
communications Year

structures suitable

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 11

 Table 1. Cellular Phone Growth from 1992 to 2001

Telephone Cellular
Year Telephone lines
subscribers subscribers

1992 740,033 — 56,044

1993 — — 102,400

1994 — — 171,903

1995 1,409,639 — 493,862

1996 3,352,842 — 959,024

1997 5,775,556 — 1,343,620

1998 6,641,780 2,512,113 1,733,652

1999 6,811,616 2,892,333 2,849,880

2000 6,905,692 3,061,387 6,454,359

2001
6,938,762 3,315,096 12,159,163

2002 6,914,235 3,310,933 15,383,001

Source: National Telecommunications Commissionn (NTC) (other portions no

data), although cellular subscribers may be overstated since one person may own
one or more SIM.

nationwide franchise.39 tenets. For instance, the number of cel-

Third, advances in ICTs have effec- lular phone users in the country today
tively reduced the cost of providing has risen so fast that it has already
communications access to distant loca- exceeded the number of landline sub-
tions through satellite, microwave and scribers (refer to Table 1 and Figure 1).
other mobile communications systems. According to the NTC, while subscrip-
It has altered the telecommunications tion to wirelines was only 4.26 by the
landscape in the country and made the end of 2001, subscription to cellular
telephone industry, long seen as a natu- mobile telephone services (CMTS) had
ral monopoly, adhere more competitive already reached 15.61.

12 Bridging the Information Divide

Local Strategies for
Bridging Information
to the Last Mile

From a technical viewpoint, people and landline-based options.41

in government and in the private sector Some agencies subscribe to the view
may claim that there is universal access that universal access to ICTs should per-
to ICTs in the Philippines. For instance, tain to universal access to the Internet.
with satellite technology, every nook The Philippines’ highest information
and cranny of the country should be able technology policy making body, the
to access the Internet and other voice Information Technology and E-
communications. Likewise, with respect Commerce Council (ITECC), for
to a national information infrastructure, instance, has a vision to have “an e-
the Depart-ment of Science and enabled society where empowered citi-
Technology (DOST) would assert that zens have access to technologies that
the backbone is already in place, and the will provide quality education, efficient
remaining challenge is to link the “last government service, greater source of
mile” to this backbone.40 While there is livelihood, and a better way of life.” A
no need to “reinvent the wheel,” people critical component of this vision is the
must first be made aware that the wheel provision of affordable Internet access
already exists, for them to realize what to all segments of the population. To do
is possible. The kind of information this, the government plans to establish
infrastructure to set-up in a community over 40,000 community e-centers in the
should consider the terrain, the popula- country, or roughly one in each
tion density, costs, and technologies barangay.
available. It is also advisable to consider But what is technically possible is far
combining existing wireless, satellite from the real state of access. Given the

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 13

 resource limitations in developing coun- consultations are made, such as non-gov-
tries, universal access of the real kind ernmental organizations (NGOs), com-
may not be realistic in the near future. munity groups and religious societies. It
Also, access in terms of the infrastructure may also be websites that people with
does not necessarily guarantee access to access frequent, for these are potential
the information and its corollary services. links to information which government
A more pragmatic approach may be to may want to push. Last, intermediaries
have intermediaries between those who may also use other ICTs that are more
have access to information and those accessible, such as radio, TV, telephone
who do not. and cellular phones, to deliver the needed
information. Some local applications of
Mediating Information this include agricultural extension work,
forDevelopment voter registration, inquiry and payment
One view is that it is the “informa- of public services and disaster and emer-
tion” that is crucial, and not the ICT per gency response. As such, the practical if
se,42 and the challenge is to bring the not pragmatic view is to recognize that
information across to those who need it, there are ‘indirect’ ways for accessing
despite the limitations to access to ICTs. information.
For instance, while initially it was In rural areas, for instance, the radio is
believed that more modern ICTs like the most accessible and ubiquitous form of
Internet will bring disintermediation ICT. The Bureau of Agricultural
between the client and the source of Statistics (BAS) uses local radio to
information, the opposite is actually announce prices of basic commodities
occurring. The primary reason for this is everyday. Likewise, the Land Bank has a
the fact that there simply is too much marketing assistance program called
information. Hence, social and techno- “Palengke sa Ere” that airs from 5 to 6
logical intermediaries have a crucial role a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.43 As for the use of
to play in bringing needed information to more “modern” ICTs such as the com-
the “informationally-challenged”. puter, PH Domain provides a Q&A serv-
Intermediaries, are “go-betweens” ice, “Tanong Mo, Sagot Nila” with the
that will help bridge the so-called infor- help of experts in agriculture, medicine,
mation divide (see Figure 2). They may law, banking, computers, women’s
be real, and they may also be virtual. issues, etc.44
Their task will be to push and retrieve Another way to address the access
information originating from govern- problem is through the use of social net-
ment and citizens and vice-versa. They works. Social networks help address the
may be located in traditional areas for access problem on two fronts: (i) cost and
social convergence like the church, (ii) capabilities. An example of how
school or office. They may also be in social networks hel—overcome the bar-
more modern places like gaming stations riers of cost is through cost-sharing. In
and Internet cafes. Intermediaries may areas where schools could not afford
also be the traditional avenues for which broad band access, for instance, privately

14 Bridging the Information Divide

 Figure 2. The Role of
Intermediaries in Linking citizens
Individuals to Information

citizens
Traditional

Office/School
Gov’t ICTs citizens
Websites

Other ICTs citizens

Intermediaries

citizens

broad band access, for instance, privately of simply printing out e-mail messages, or
owned internet cafés provide the service, reading the information, or broadcasting
as in the case of Pal-Isla Campus Café in the message over the radio.
the province of Palawan. To make access In sum, access is not only about cost
more affordable, some customers go in and physical access, it also involves the
groups of three or four, rent one PC and issue of demographic disparities and
share the cost. Similar cost-sharing occurs divides. Sadly, access to ICTs often reflect
with cellular phone usage: those who do existing social disparities with respect to
not own mobile phones keep multiple income, education, gender and age. While
numbers (or access numbers) because the ideal situation is for each individual to
they regularly use the cell phones of a net- possess the capability and knowledge to
work of friends to send text or short mes- use ICTs, this may not be a realistic goal.
saging systems (SMS).45 Others share one For one, individuals assign different val-
cell phone, but own individual SIM- ues to the importance of ICTs and have
cards. Similar sharing of e-mail addresses varying capabilities to use them.
occur. Intermediaries are useful for bridging
Lack of capabilities to use certain these social disparities.
ICTs, like e-mail and the cell phone, also Secondly, ICTs are not only about the
prevent people from getting to vital infor- Internet. Other media, such as the tele-
mation. Social intermediaries help to phone, radio, and television, may be uti-
bridge this by accessing the information lized as technological intermediaries for
and transforming the information into a information from the Internet and other,
medium that the disadvantaged is capable more sophisticated ICTs, to reach more
of understanding. This may take the form individuals. Local AM radio, for instance,

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 15

 has been used by farmers in Quezon for Thus, one strategy to increase access
distance education. Television, on the to telecommunications services in rural
other hand, was the chosen medium for areas is to establish a multipurpose tele-
Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko for educating peo- center. This approach has been successful
ple on health, as well as linking the poor in many parts of Europe in the 1980s and
to people who were willing to help in their has mushroomed in various regions
health finances. The two-way radio is still worldwide. The wide acceptance of the
a viable option during election campaigns telecenter concept, however, has not been
and for mobilizing people in disasters and totally successful in all cases. A telecenter
emergencies. is designed to address specific communi-
The Internet and mobile phones, on ty information needs and hence, no single
the other hand, are newer forms of ICTs, telecenter model would be suitable for all.
and people are just beginning to realize A telecenter is a community-based
their potential for delivering development facility that caters to the information and
services. For instance, SMS has been communication needs of the people. It
used by some universities for information provides information services using dif-
services like suspension of classes during ferent intermediaries, tools to assist learn-
inclement weather. In fact, according to ing, and access to new forms of commu-
people in the industry, SMS programs do nication. Its primary objective is for local
not cost much, and would be self sustain- people in a remote area to have access to
ing for the organization since users pay basic and affordable communication serv-
for their queries (see Annex A for some ices that are appropriate to their capabili-
examples of government SMS-based ties and needs. The telecenter can be com-
services). posed of a single computer, a public call-
ing office (PCO), a huge workstation, or
The TelecenterConcept even a single mobile phone. In essence,
There are generally three means for the technology in a “telecenter” may
getting access to the Internet, namely: (1) translate to greater access to other servic-
organizational, in which members are es such as e-governance, information
provided with connection through a local needs and research, communication with
area network; (2) individual access, other people, and business-to-business
through a connection to ISPs; and (3) transactions, among others.
community access through connection in The Information Technology and E-
public institutions such as libraries, commerce Council (ITECC) proposes to
libraries, city halls, museums, and brand all such initiatives simply as
Internet cafes. The latter would include e- Community E-centers or CECs. They
centers which, in theory, would approxi- envision that these CECs will serve as
mate universal access.46 The establish- alternative channels for delivering gov-
ment of e-centers across the country is ernment services at a lower cost. It is also
one strategy for bridging the so-called intended to augment existing government
“last mile” of connectivity to information efforts with private sector and local com-
in the Internet. munity participation to improve band-

16 Bridging the Information Divide

width affordability in remote areas to ICTs among unconnected and under-
through several deployment models. served communities, establish a one-stop
What follows are some examples of information resource center using tested,
local telecenter initiatives: state-of-the art methods of organizing,
sharing and communicating information,
Philippine Council for and develop programs and applications
Health Research and relevant and useful to community needs.
Development (PCHRD) Such applications may encompass long-
Multi-purpose Community distance education, telemedicine, elec-
Telecenter (MCT) project47 tronic commerce, assistance to small
The PCHRD’s telecenter project is businesses and microcredit enterprises,
among the pioneer projects in the trade, tourism and crafts, environmental
Philippines that utilizes ICTs as a tool for management, new mechanisms for popu-
rural development. Telecenters were ini- lar participation, and women and youth
tially established in four barangays in empowerment.
Mindanao. Also known as Barangay.Net, the
Their MCTs render integrated services project was undertaken by the Central
such as public calling offices, an Internet Visayas Information Sharing Network
café, a computer processing center, (CVISNet), a Cebu-based private founda-
library, and training resources center. tion, for local communities to make use of
The MCTs, though, have encountered information resources through the
problems, including issues concerning Internet. The project involves govern-
sustainability. However, these have not ment, private sector, and non-governmen-
made the government doubt the advan- tal organizations. It aims to develop and
tages of this approach. One option the implement a flexible, local approach to
government has considered has been to community development using ICTs.
lease out its existing network of 672
PCOs to existing carriers and transform e-Barangay in Cebu
them into multipurpose telecenters with In pursuit of the e-governance thrust of
Internet facilities. In fact, the four pilot government, a consortium of the leading
MCTs established by the PCHRD made lights of the ICT industry in Cebu, from
use of TELOF's PCOs in Mindanao. This government, private sector and civil soci-
strategy is consistent with the idea of pro- ety put together a project that was envi-
viding more local access points in public sioned to bring ICTand related services to
places. Examples of these access points the level of the masses and place viable
include libraries, schools and other meet- and cost-effective ICT facilities at the
ing places that are crucial for people who barangays.
do not have access at home. It was piloted in eight barangays in
Cebu City, namely: Basak-Pardo, Lahug,
The e-Barangay Project. Apas, Hippodromo, Carreta, Luz,
Inspired by the Indian model, the e- Kamputhaw and Mabolo. The project
Barangay Project seeks to provide access was built on the existing infrastructure,

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 17

 initiatives and programs of government, opment of city website with e-barangay
civil society, and private sector organiza- portal, and online barangay applications.48
tions involved in the ICT sector in Cebu.
Among them were the Central Visayas Call Centers: Connecting
Information Sharing Network with the Migrant Worker
Foundation, Inc., the Ayala Foundation, Another important use of ICTs has
Inc., the Department of Science and been to connect people, especially family
Technology, the Department of Trade and members. This has been especially signif-
Industry, the Technical Education and icant in the Philippines, where millions of
Skills Development Authority, the Center OFWs are sent to the Middle East and
for Industrial Technology Enterprise, the other parts of the world. Such migration
Philippine Information Agency, the Cebu has affected many families, where either
City Government, the World Corps, the mother or father, or both, are absent
Global Mind, Globe Isla from the home. Letters, e-mail, texting,
Communications, Cebu Business Park and computer video, help in keeping the
and Neighboring Barangay Altruistic family together despite the distance.
Alliance, Inc. and the RITECC. Some local NGOs like Atikha and
The e–barangay’s services range from Balikbayani, provide families of OFWs
that of a calling office, an Internet café, a with access to videophones.49
computer processing center, a reading Similar to this, an example of govern-
and training resource center and a place ment-private sector partnership with
for people to interact. The e-barangay is a respect to tapping ICTs took effect during
venue for creating barangay information, the U.S. led war against Iraq in 2003. The
as well as subject-specific Philippine Philippine National Bank partnered with
information, in particular those on health, the country’s telecommunications
education, agriculture and rural enter- providers and the Overseas Workers
prise development. Welfare Administra-tion (OWWA) to
establish “Tele-Ugnayan Centers.” Call
e-Barangay In Escalante City. centers were set up in OWWA offices
The City Government of Escalante, across the country and in affected areas in
Negros Occidental, on February 28, 2003, the Middle East. Over 3,500 families
became the first Philippine city to have all were connected using a combination of
its barangays virtually connected. traditional landline telephones, state of the
Barangay telecenters facilitate inter- art video-conferencing facilities, and
barangay coordination and allows resi- mobile telephones.
dents to access the Internet and communi-
cate instantly with friends and relatives all E-governance via Cellular Phones
over the world at minimal cost. The provision of cellular phones to
This was made possible by the alloca- remote barangays has also helped bring
tion of over P2 million for the computeri- greater access to information in the coun-
zation of all the barangays, telephone line try. The barangay captain of Igcabugao in
subscription with Internet access, devel- Igbaras, Iloilo for instance, no longer has

18 Bridging the Information Divide

to trek to the municipal hall to talk with ect of bringing governance closer to the
the mayor. Needs could be addressed people by making information about local
through SMS (short messaging system) governance more accessible to the citizens.
or actual calls. This, despite the absence Naga’s “I-Governance” project makes use
of electricity in the barangay. To over- of technology through the city-website,
come the limitation, the batteries are Naga.gov.ph, which updates and informs
charged in an adjoining barangay four the citizens on city services, financial and
kilometers away, or whenever village bidding reports, city legislation, invest-
officials go to the town.50 ments data, statistics and the procedures in
The cost of connecting Igabaras’ the local bureaucracy, among others.
barangays was borne by the taxpayers. The second component of the project
The phone has helped deter cattle rustlers involves residents who have no access to
and petty criminals because of easier computers and other ICTs. For them, the
coordination and monitoring of the local city provides each household a guide-
situation. The town’s health center and book, the “Naga City Citizen Charter”
ambulance could also be called upon which contains step-by-step instructions
more easily in case of emergencies. It also on how to avail of key city services, and
serves as the local barangay’s pseudo call- other information that may also be found
ing station for a minimal fee and OFWs in the city’s website.54 This, in essence,
now have a more direct way of reaching captures the previously-discussed idea
their families. that the information that needs to be
Similar cases have been reported with brought to the citizen matters more than
respect to use of cellular phones for the technology. While a divide may still
Bantay Dagat programs in Concepcion, exist with respect to access to ICTs, at the
Iloilo, that help in the safeguard of coastal very least, the gap with respect to infor-
resources, especially against illegal fish- mation is not as wide.
ing methods.51
Cellular phone connections with the Satellite and Wireless Connection
rural areas are also becoming more neces- Batanes Connect
sary given the shelving of the govern- Batanes Province is composed of a
ment’s plan to put up landline telephone group of islands in the northernmost part
exchanges in every barangay. of the Philippines. It has relatively small
population, and is often hit by typhoons. It
I-Governance is “underserved” in terms of telecommu-
Notably, the City of Naga has had a nication services. Since telecommunica-
presence in the Internet as early as March tion companies were reluctant to invest in
1996 (www.naga.gov.ph).52 Naga City is the area, a non-governmental organiza-
also home to the first local government- tion (NGO) decided to help address the
owned library in the country to provide problem, the Ivatan Foundation for
Internet access to its clients, which is an Development Communications, Inc.
example of a local public access place.53 (IFDCI). The IFDCI was formed in 1997
Even more encouraging is the LGU’s proj- to oversee and regulate the operations of

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 19

 existing public calling stations in Batanes This kind of set up is ideal to islands
operated by PilTel. Its mission was and islets that are prone to annual typhoons
expanded in 1998 to include other proj- like Batanes. Since fiber optics require
ects that would bring in new information huge amount of investments, this connec-
and communication technologies, partic- tion performs equally well at a lesser cost.
ularly e-mail and the Internet, into the
Islands. This was the start of the concep- Wireless Local Loop Technology.
tualization of BatanesConnect. Wireless loop technology is used
To make this project possible, the around the world to provide communica-
IFDCI negotiated with PH Domain tions to far-flung communities where the
Foundation, the social outreach arm of the cost of regular copper wire communica-
local PH Domain Registry, for free e-mail tions is prohibitive. Under this system,
connectivity and e-mail service. Realizing radio signals are use to transmit messages
that the existing phone lines then were not between phones and networks. In princi-
capable of the data transmission required ple, it works like a cellular phone system,
for Internet connection, a satellite link-up but at a lower cost and with fewer func-
was considered a viable option. Telesat, a tions. One drawback , however, is that the
Manila-based satellite service provider, technology also requires that the phones be
was tapped to help IFDCI develop a fea- plugged into electrical sockets, which may
sible model for Internet connectivity for make it infeasible in many remote areas in
Batanes. Similarly, a system of wires and the country. This kind of system has actu-
cables to connect offices in Basco was not ally allowed the telephone to finally reach
feasible because of typhoons; thus, the Sulat, Eastern Samar in October 2002.55
solution was a wireless system instead.
Internet Connectivity was formally inau- SMS to Television in Classrooms.
gurated on February 9, 2002. The United Nations Development
The Batanes Internet Connectivity set- Program (UNDP), The International
up utilizes a combination of satellite- Youth Federation, the content provider
based and wireless technology. In the Pearson, and mobile phone manufacturer
absence of fiber optic backbones and Nokia, together have piloted a program
telecommunication infrastructure, IFDCI that was launched on June 2003 that
uses a combination of satellite and omni- allows 40 elementary public schools in
directional antennas in setting up facilities poorer areas in the Philippines to use
for Internet access. A satellite dish in the SMS technology to order science videos
Manila server is linked to another satellite in electronic libraries.
dish in Basco via Mabuhay Satellite. The The videos can be downloaded to a
station in Basco then connects other cen- digital satellite telephone receiver, record-
ters and offices using a wireless system ed, and connected to a television in the
through omni directional antennas. It classroom. The videos, however, are only
includes an intranet or wide area network meant to supplement and not supplant the
with at least 16 private and government traditional modes of learning, such as the
offices that has been set-up in Basco. textbook and other classroom activities.56

20 Bridging the Information Divide

Table 2: Options for gaining access to the Internet
Speed
Type Distribution Method vs 56K Drawback
modem
Internet service providers (ISPs) Limited speed.
use household telephone lines to Old phone cables
Dial-up transmit data from the Internet. A tend to be less
modem converts the data and reliable
the PC displays the information

Residents farther
Turns digital signals of comput- than 4.25 kms.
Digital sub-
ers into sound waves and zaps 10x from a central
scriber line
them through the phone net- faster phone office prob-
(DSL)
work ably can’t get
service
Line vulnerable in
Phone line has multiple chan-
Integrated power interruptions.
nels. It can accommodate a
Services 2x to It has two bills---one
combination of 3 to 31 voice
Digital 20x for phone and one
calls and/or Internet connec-
Network faster for the Internet.
tions depending on the configu-
(ISDN) ISDN modem is
ration
expensive.
Data from the Net flows over the Expert needed to
coaxial cable that carries TV set-up system.
10x to
Cable signals. A modem splits the Bandwidth split
20x
Modems Internet data from TV data and among simultane-
faster
directs the data to the PC and ous Internet
the PC correspondingly. users.

Most satellite serv-

Satellites that beam TV signals ices only one way.
can also transmit Internet data. Complex set-up to
4x to 8
Satellite The signals are collected on send data back to
x faster
dishes, split off from TV signals, the Net over regu-
and routed to the PC. lar line. Two-way
services slower.

Same airwaves used to beam

Requires a clear
wireless phone calls used to send
2x to and direct line of
Fixed Internet data. The signals are
10x sight between the
Wireless delivered from wireless towers,
faster tower and a cus-
collected on dishes attached to
tomer’s location.
the home, and routed to the PC

Adapted from: “A Broadband primer,” BusinessWeek online (October 8, 2001); available from
http://www.businessweek.com/content/01_41?b3752049.htm; accessed 8 August 2003.

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 21

 All in all, the examples and cases pre- people in the communities and ask: What
sented above illustrate various technolo- information do they require? How can
gies that can be tapped to communicate ICTs be incorporated with the way they
and gain access to information. communicate, live, learn, play and work?
What follows is a short summary of How will the opportunities opened by
the possible options local communities ICTs be made manifest to everyone in the
and LGUs can consider for gaining country?
access to the Internet (refer to
Table 2).
Box 1. Seven Proposals for
If one wants to be connected to Human Development Using New ICTs
the Internet, six of the 11 telecom-
munication operators in the coun- 1. Offer concrete solutions
try provide international Internet Connectivity is not an ends in itself
but a tool that can help find
bandwidth. These are BayanTel,
concrete solutions
Digitel, Globe, Eastern, Philcom- What is important is the way it is used
sat, and PLDT.) Furthermore, Strengthen people’s abilities to use
Internet Service Providers can also the technologies to the full
2. Move forward at the pace of
connect to three exchanges for sup-
the community
plying their national Internet traf- Development takes time and works
fic: Philippine Internet Exchange better when done with the timing
or PHIX (www.phix.net.ph), Com- and pace of the communities involved
3. Learn from mistakes
mon Routing Exchange (www.ph.
Learn from what we are doing right
net/core.html, or Manila Internet and wrong to improve
Exchange (www.etpi.com/mani- 4. Localize globalized communication
laix.htm).57 Build on what already exists instead
of starting from scratch
But it must be firmly rooted in the
But is Access Sufficient people’s realities
for Tapping ICTs for 5. Work with a gender perspective
Development? Take account of the differences that
exist within societies
The foregoing are promising
6. Let people speak with their own voice
social and technological models for What is often missing is the i
achieving greater access to infor- nformation about the communities
mation and ICTs in the Philippines. The problem with language (content
is often only in written form and
However, for true development to
in English).
be achieved, development workers 7. Generate new knowledge
should think beyond access, and Accumulating information is not
consider how ICTs could be effec- the same as generating new
knowledge
tively leveraged to further develop
Education provides the greatest
communities (Refer to Box 1 for opportunities
some proposal on using ICTs for
Adapted from Gomez and Casadiego (2002), ‘Letter to Aunt Ofelia’
Human Development).
It is important to start with the

22 Bridging the Information Divide

 Financing Access
to Information

A lot can go wrong in the implementa- tion.59 For instance, the City
tion of an information systems project. Government of Puerto Princesa
A large part of this is attributable to charges researchers a minimal fee for
gaps between the reality and the design copying sections of their development
of the program. The project’s success plans. Also, a popular service applica-
is often dependent on reducing the gap tion has been to use short messaging
between the reality and its design. The systems for information that is rou-
previous sections were presented in tinely asked. This has been done by
order to reduce this gap and increase the social security system for updates
the chances that the project will suc- and inquiries about contributions and
ceed and be sustained. loan, and a number of schools provide
Often, however, after knowing the the service for parents and students
opportunities, benefits and options who would like to know whether
available, the next question that local classes have been suspended due to
leaders ask is “ How much will it cost inclement weather. Callers or “tex-
and where do I get that kind of ters” are normally charged P2.50 per
money?” These questions pertain to inquiry and 30 percent of this normal-
the problem of financing. ly goes to the organization providing
If a project is to be financially sus- the information.
tainable the lifetime costs of the infor- b. Consider how revenues will be
mation system must be less than or maximized through increased efficien-
equal to the financial resources avail- cy. The City of Caloocan views their
able. Should the resources be less than investment in GIS, as a cost-benefit
the projected cost, the community has issue. Mayor Malonzo also decided
two options to address the gap58: that his foremost priority was to
improve the city’s revenue generating
1. Change the financial realities capabilities. This was partly to justify
Changing financial realities could the project’s “investment” nature –
involve a number of options: that it yield financial and non-financial
a. Consider selling public informa- benefits that were greater than its

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 23

 costs. Since real property taxes were and also for accessing the Internet.
the largest source of locally generated They are also charged for printing
revenues, this was the area that he pri- costs and for outgoing calls.
oritized in the computerization pro-
gram. As he explained, “ we did not 2. Change the financial design
see the resources we have put into our Changing financial design means
IT program as costs, but rather as reducing the costs of the new informa-
investments… financial and non- tion system until they meet available
financial benefits (must be) far greater resources. It generally involves scaling
than the initial project costs. This was down the functions or objectives of the
the same consideration we made when new system.
we decided to invest in GIS Again there are a number of options
(Geographic Information Systems). that can be considered:
We made sure that the benefits to be a. Use of government bargaining
gained outweighed the required invest- power. Government’s bargaining
ments.” Within the first year of the power and economies of scale can be
implementation of the computerization used to drive down costs by purchas-
program, its real property tax collec- ing for groups of public sector organi-
tions increased by 56 percent, from zations. For instance, the fact that gov-
P171 million in 1995 to P256 million ernment intends to set-up 40,000 tele-
in 1996. Its automated revenue system centers can be used as a leverage for to
also helped the City double its annual lower the cost of setting them up, espe-
real property tax collections in only cially if it will involve purchase of
four years, or an average annual similar basic equipment.
increase of 22.5 percent from 1995 to b. Inter-agency collaboration.
1999. This increase was also due large- Collaboration between organizations
ly to ability of the new system to accu- can take many forms.
rately identify delinquent accounts For instance, they could have one-
which came to P600 million in 1996 for-all contracts, where a contract
and 1997 alone. negotiated by one public agency can
c. Consider getting external financ- be used by other public sector organi-
ing from government, private sector or zations, rather than starting from
from international donors. The com- scratch with a vendor. They can also
munities or LGU may allot funds for work together and share the infrastruc-
the information systems project and ture.
provide subsidies to it. But this is only The PREGINET project for
one way to finance the projects. Other instance is a national backbone of the
ways are described below: government that government units can
d. Consider charging clients and tap for interconnection and is currently
users. Some of the telecenter pilot being used by many universities
projects of the DOST charge its clients around the Philippines as their primary
a minimal fee for using the computers network.

24 Bridging the Information Divide

 Land Bank,
CCPSP DBP, PNB
Private
Sector Bond
Financing Flotations

LGUGC Private Banks

LGU
FINANCING
OPTIONS

MDFO/DOF
Land Bank,
GRANTS LOANS DBP, PNB,
MDPO

DLG

LGUGC &
NEDA Private
Banks

Chart 2. Financing Your Project

c. Public-Private partnership. With telecenters projects in Cebu and

the increased interest in “pre-paid” Escalante City were partly funded this
telephone services, TELOF, for way.
instance, is considering leasing many e. Proper project management.
of their unused line capacity to the pri- Doing a careful study of your options
vate sector. TELOF does not have the is one way for avoiding project over-
resources (or rather the needed govern- runs, and wasteful use of resources.
ment authorization) to buy the needed This could be done by following basic
hardware to make their system offer technical, economic and social feasi-
such services. However, such funds bilities of the project. One can also
can easily be leveraged from the pri- consult government agencies like the
vate sector. A new revenue stream National Computer Center (NCC) and
could easily be gained through this the Applied Science and Technology
service and maximize idle line capaci- Institute (ASTI), to get a proper
ty. assessment of your projects’ basic
d. Donations. There are various requirements and the options that may
foundations and groups who are now be available for your situation, such as
into IT-related projects. In fact, the “open-source” software.

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 25

 potential sources of
PRIVATE SECTOR FINANCING
The Coordinating Council for Private Sector Participation (CCPSP) can
help obtain financing through private sector proponents. These include
BOTs, joint ventures, concessions, leases, management and service
CCPSP contracts. Contact Person: Mr. Noel Eli B. Kintanar, Executive Director,
Coordinating Council for Private Sector Participation, 6th Floor, EDPC
Bldg., Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd., Manila. Tel.
No. (02) 521-4274, Fax No. (02) 521-4285. E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://ccpsp.org.

LGU Guarantee Corporation (LGUGC), a private guarantee institution

composed of DBP and member banks of the Bankers Association of the
Philippines, can help LGUs obtain private sector loans or help sell their
bond flotations. Contact Persons: Mr. Jesus G. Tirona, President and Mr.
LGUGC Vicente A. Laza, Senior Vice President, Local Government Units
Guarantee Corporation (LGUGC), 28/F Antel 2000 Corporate Center 121
Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel. No. (02) 750-4166 and 845-
3387, Fax No. (02) 888-4217. Email: [email protected] or
[email protected].

BOND FLOTATIONS
Land Bank, Bond Flotations are another source of financing for LGU projects. You
can contact Private Financial Advisers as well as Land Bank, DBP and
DBP, PNB, the PNB for assistance on bond flotations. Their contact numbers are
Private listed in Step 2 and Step 3. The LGUGC, through its member Private
Banks and investments houses, can also help LGUs finance their proj-
Banks ects through bond flotations. Their contact number is shown under
Private Sector Financing above.

LOANS
Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). Eligible projects: housing, health
projects, public markets, bus terminals, waterworks, water systems, sew-
erage, flood control and drainage, sanitation, slaughterhouse, forestry,
Land Bank waste disposal and wastewater treatment, renewable energy and other
environmental projects. Land Bank also finances feasibility studies.
Contact Person: Mr. Mauricio C. Feliciano, Assistant Vice-President,
Program Management Department, Land Bank.

Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Eligible projects: water sup-

ply systems, sanitation and drainage projects, housing, water supply proj-
ects, public markets, slaughterhouses, transport terminals, renewable
energy, municipal water systems, storage and refrigeration facilities, hos-
pital/health facilities, roads and bridges, heavy equipment, computer
DBP hardware and software; refinancing of existing LGU loans and bridge
financing. Contact Person: Mr. Florencio E. Deloy, Assistant Vice
President, Development Bank of the Philippines, Senator Gil J. Puyat
Ave., cor. Makati Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila. Tel. No. (02) 840-
3435.

26 Bridging the Information Divide

funding
Philippine National Bank. Eligible projects: public facilities, infrastructure
projects, public markets, housing, waste disposal, slaughterhouse, road
construction, school buildings, waterworks, water systems, heavy equip-
ment, telephone systems, commercial centers, post-harvest facilities, irriga -
tion, reclamation, sports complexes, and city and municipal halls. Contact PNB
Person: Mr. Josefino R. Gamboa, Senior Vice President, Government
Banking Group, Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Center, Roxas
Blvd., Metro Manila, TeleFax No. (02) 526-3488; E-mail:
[email protected]

Municipal Development Fund (MDF) of the Department of Finance:: Eligible

projects: municipal infrastructure, public markets, slaughterhouse, water
supply systems, roads, bridges, flood control, piers and wharves, bus termi-
nals, post-harvest facilities, environmental projects such as solid waste,
wastewater treatment and social projects. Technical assistance is available
for LGU training and capacity-building and resource mobilization assistance.
MDFO/
Eligible borrowers are 3rd to 6th class LGUs, but for environmental projects DOF
all LGUs may apply. Contact Person: Ms. Loreta S. Rufo, Program Manager,
Municipal Development Fund Office (MDFO) Podium Level, Department of
Finance Bldg. Roxas Blvd., Metro Manila, Tel. No. (02) 525-9186-87, Fax
No. (02) 525-9187.

The Community Based Resource Management Program (CBRMP) of the

Department of Finance. Eligible projects: upland agriculture and communi-
ty-based forestry, coastal and near-shore fisheries projects and small-scale
rural infrastructure projects. Technical assistance is available for project
preparation, capacity-building and resource mobilization assistance.
Contact Person: Ms. Floradema C. Eleazar, Program Manager, Community-
Based Resource Management Program, Department of Finance, 7F/EDPC
Bldg. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd., Manila; Tel. No.
(02) 523-9940; Fax No. (02) 523-6325; E-mail: [email protected].

GRANTS
Information can be obtained from the following agencies for grants from offi- MDFO/
cial sources (ODA): Municipal Development Finance Office (MDFO) under
the Department of Finance (DOF) , Department of Interior and Local DOF, DILG
Government (DILG), and the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA). Some donors provide grants directly to LGUs.
& NEDA

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 27

 ‘I for an I’: What Does Access
to Information Mean to
Individuals?
“ ... the ends of information are after all tances. At a more basic level, it has
human ends. The logic of information allowed them to communicate and keep
must ultimately be the logic of humanity. in touch. People abroad are able to share
For all information’s independence and the new experiences and opportunities
extent, it is people, in their communities, they encounter with those they left
organizations, and institutions, who ulti - behind, thereby broadening the latter’s
mately decide what it all means, and why own knowledge.
it matters.” What information systems planners
—Brown and Duguid (2000:18), should consider, however, is that different
‘The Social Life of Information’ people have different information needs.
Furthermore, the value persons assign to
Everyone requires information. It could ICTs depend largely on how these tech-
be as simple as needing to know the nologies are integrated into their daily
whereabouts of one’s children, whether a lives. For instance, a mobile phone may
storm is coming, or the prices of galung- not be important for a person who stays at
gong or instant mami. The more relevant home most of the time. Alandline phone
and meaningful the information is to peo- may not be cost effective for a person who
ple, the more useful it becomes. For only uses it sparingly and may have
instance, a driver can always appreciate access to other communication devices.
knowing how to identify and correct Usage of ICTs is influenced largely by
problems with his jeepney or car. A fish- people’s perceptions and knowledge of
erman can always appreciate knowing how useful and relevant these will be in
where fish are plentiful. Farmers can their lives. A considerable number of
always use information about crops that people remain ignorant of the use of ICTs
are most suitable to their land. because they do not realize how it applies
Today, modern transportation and to their situation. Some simply see ICTs
globalization has led to increased mobil- as tools for business, without realizing
ity among people, which has, in turn, their other economic impacts such as sav-
contributed to the dispersion of families. ings in time and transportation costs.
As previously described, ICTs have Many others find it difficult to identify
enabled them to remain close despite the the types of information that are crucial
distance. For example, ICTs make it pos- for running their lives more efficiently
sible to send money electronically, and and effectively. Educational attainment is
also allows family members to inform one of the more significant variables that
their relatives about when to expect such influence positive perceptions of the need
transactions and how to spend the remit- and usefulness of ICTs, whether it be

28 Bridging the Information Divide

telephones, cellular phones, or computers ence utilization of ICTs in the future. Box
and its auxiliary applications such as the 2 outlines some basic steps on how one
e-mail and Internet.60 may assess people’s information needs.
These imply that policies and strategies For everyone in society to have equal
which aim to provide more access to ICTs opportunities to reap the benefits that
must be integrated with the education of ICTs provide, plans must address the
people on the advantages and opportuni- socio-economic and cultural barriers to
ties that ICTs can provide in their lives. its use, and develop people’s capabilities
For instance, when individuals learn to use them. People must be made more
how others make use of the technologies, aware of the applications and opportuni-
a better appreciation of what it could do ties that new ICTs bring.
for them may develop. With a better Thus, a more integrated approach has
appreciation, hopefully, will come new to be developed in order to ensure that
ideas of how it could be used in their own policies and strategies for universal
contexts. Only then would ICTs become access to ICTs are not wasted and indeed
relevant to a greater number of people. lead to human and social development.
Ordinary people set priorities based This means integrating the efforts of gov-
on their own set of values and under- ernment, private sector and civil society
standing of what is important in their day to provide ICT access, marketing, appli-
to day lives. It is important for developers cations and content development, train-
or community information systems to ing and capability building. It also
understand the kinds of information peo- involves linking the various forms of
ple consider important in order to influ- ICTs that are available in the community.

Box 2
Identifying Local Information Needs
As Brown and Duguid said “ .. the ends of information are after all human ends. The logic
of information must ultimately be the logic of humanity.” (2000:18). Thus, plans to use
ICTs for development should start with the information needs of people. The information
should come from the people themselves. The information needs of people vary and is
dependent upon the social context and environment in which they are embedded.
There are various ways by which to have a quick assessment of a community’s infor-
mation needs. One can utilize various data collection methods, such as surveys, focused
group consultations, and simple observation. The various groupings or organizations
within the community should also be identified, as they may serve as logical starting
points for consultations, as well as possible access points for the information and ICTs.
It is important to identify specific sectors in the community, list down what information
they usually access, process, and use in their activities.

The following are some of the basic questions that have to be answered:
1. What are the different segments/sectors in the community?
2. What information is needed for the activities of these key groups?
3. How (or through what media (i.e. ICT)) do they access their information?
4. Where can this information be obtained?
5. When (and how often) do they need the information?

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 29

 An Integrated Approach
to Tapping ICTs for
Development

People must be able to access data and activities, if they are not integrated
assess if they are useful and applicable with other development activities
to their situation, before they could act (Refer to Box 3).
upon them (refer to Figure 3.) However, While the access strategy is primari-
transforming data into useful informa- ly the task of government, it cannot
tion requires economic, social and work without public and private organ-
action resources. Economic resources izations.61 Efforts at the national level,
include money, skills and technology. of private providers, and local commu-
ICTs belong in this category, and are nities must be integrated to help
only tools that help convert data into achieve universal access at a faster
usable information. Social resources, pace. For instance, understanding how
on the other hand, include people’s far markets are willing to go to bring
motivations and trust. Access to ICTs the National Information Infrastructure
does not guarantee access to critical (NII) into rural areas will be crucial for
data or the understanding of the value government, non-private actors and
of the information, nor the capacity to international agencies to determine
make use the information. Hence, their own roles in filling the gap.62
social resources are crucial in making
information significant to the lives of The Roles of People,
ordinary people by developing their Infrastructure, and Content
capabilities, or pointing them to inter- There are three interlinked systems
mediaries that can help act on the infor- that must be considered in any plan to use
mation that is significant in their con- ICTs for development: people, the infra-
texts. Finally, obtaining the needed structure and applications or content. 63
information does not necessarily trans- (See Figure 4: ICT for Development
late to sustainable human development Framework)

Figure 3: The Information Chain

Economic Resources Action Resources

Data Access Access Apply Act

Social Resources

30 Bridging the Information Divide

 Foremost in any information systems
Box 3: Making plan are the stakeholders, or users of the
Information Useful system. This will be the people and the
What do people need to make social system in which the system will be
the information chain work? They embedded. Plans should begin with what
need four resources:
—Data Resources: they need rel-
people need, and the information they find
evant data to be available in the most relevant and useful. This may vary
first place. from one community to another.
—Economic Resources: they Community members must be able to
need the money, the skills, and the
technology in order to access the
define among themselves what the infor-
data. mation system should be able to do, and
—Social Resources: they need negotiate the kinds of functions and infor-
the motivation, confidence and mation it can generate.
knowledge to access, assess and
apply the data, and they must trust
As Avgerou and Cornford says, “It is
the source. better to think of the conception of an
—Action Resources: they must be information systems project as being the
able to act on the decisions made result of negotiation process between
with the information. This will
require enterprise inputs (e.g.
people with different concerns. The ana-
money, skills, technology, raw lysts’ role is not to determine alone what
materials) plus resources like system is required, or to show which
empowerment. technical implementation is the best, but
For people in rural areas, though,
to support the negotiation process with
the problem is that these as much information and insight as the
resources are often absent. Too participants need.”64
often we find: Each of the three elements, being inter-
—Data is not available: about cus-
tomers, about prices, about suppli-
connected, have to be addressed by vari-
ers, about laws, about business ous stakeholders in an integrated manner
services, etc. in order to achieve the successful use of
—Data is available but people ICTs for the development of local com-
can't access it: e.g. they don't
know who has details about gov-
munities and organizations.
ernment support schemes, or they Linking people with the infrastructure
can't afford to get those details. addresses the issue of universal access to
—Data is accessed but people ICTs. Linking the infrastructure with appli-
can't assess and apply it: e.g. they
don't understand the contents of
cations points to the issue of creating valu-
the government directory they've able tools out of ICTs for development.
been given. Last, but most importantly, the applications
—Information is created but peo- must be relevant to the people for them to
ple can't act on it: e.g. they have
identified new customers but can't
have a significant impact on their lives.
afford to purchase materials to
supply those customers. Infrastructure and people
Source: Heeks, Richard (2001) Without the infrastructure, the best case
scenarios for ICT usage will not be possi-

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 31

 Figure 4. ICT for
Development Framework People

Access & Qualitative

equity transformation

Infrastructure Application
Create value
Adapted from NITA of Malaysia

ble,65 hence the first step is to create an in place. For instance, given a choice
infrastructure that could deliver the infor- between a progressive area and an
mation to people. Reforms in telecommu- extremely remote location, the choice
nications policies that have liberalized the would logically be to start with the more
industry have allowed for more diverse progressive area. This is a pragmatic view
and more competitive markets. While this of where to invest the needed resources.
has increased access to telephony, and has Projects should be piloted in areas where
led to the reduction of prices, it has not nec- the chances for success are higher.67
essarily led to universal access at the local Furthermore, community-based ICT
level. Thus, regulation is still needed to projects, such as telecenters, should not be
push for greater diffusion of the technolo- seen solely as technology providers or
gies in more areas in the country. access points for ICTs. As much as possi-
The priority project of ITECC to create ble, they should also be considered as
community e-centers66 is intended for citi- social and cultural community centers if
zens in small isolated communities who they are to become more successful and
do not have access to basic services and sustainable. Thus, the planning and devel-
have to travel long-distances just to avail opment of any information infrastructure
of them. The strategy is to accomplish this should also consider the social context in
with private sector and local community which it will be built.
participation to improve bandwidth
affordability in remote areas using various Infrastructure and applications
deployment models that are feasible. The infrastructure, however, may not
While the ideal is to attain connectivity serve its purpose if the applications are
in all areas, given limited resources, it may not what people find useful. One impor-
be more practical to prioritize those areas tant component for using ICTs is to
where the needed infrastructure is already determine the kinds of applications and

32 Bridging the Information Divide

information that will be relevant to the require a high degree of skill to operate. As
people being served. a result, educated people are more likely to
With the telephone, for instance, it take advantage of these applications ( e.g.
could be as simple as knowing critical the Internet and e-mail) compared to less
numbers like the Mayor’s Office, the educated groups of the population.
police, the hospital, and the school. With Enabling people how to use ICTs to obtain
television and radio, it would be know- information is therefore another task that
ing the programming schedules. At pres- must be considered.
ent, with the growing popularity and
ubiquity of cellular phones, many gov- Access to Information:
ernment agencies and organizations are Whose Responsibility?
actually turning to text-based interphases Most urban areas generally have better
to deliver basic services to the people access to telecommunications infrastruc-
(see Annex Afor list of government text ture. Hence, the burden lies with private
numbers and hotlines). sector providers to market their services
But even with this knowledge, other and make people use them. The primary
barriers may exist that prevent actual use task of the government in such a case is to
of the applications. For instance, with the put policies in place to ensure that the
Internet, a significant portion of its content price of accessing the service does not
is in English. Even if access to the Internet become prohibitive to the majority of the
is provided, those who are illiterate with community. Government and civil society
respect to the English language will be at groups, on the other hand, could focus on
a disadvantage. This may also be true with the development of applications and capa-
other ICTs, like local TV, which tends to bilities for specific groups who may be at
be dominated by shows in English or the a disadvantage, such as the poor, the eld-
Tagalog dialect. erly, or the uneducated.
In rural areas, on the other hand, the
People and applications challenge is greater. Foremost is providing
As emphasized in the previous chapter, access and sustaining the operation of the
once the relevant application or content infrastructures. This requires a more inte-
has been made available, the next chal- grated approach and interaction between
lenge is how to bring it to people, and the government and civil society. Often,
make them use it. While newer ICTs such access in these places is limited. Local
as the Internet and the cell phone were government units, non-government and
supposed to reduce the need for interme- people’s organizations could serve as pri-
diaries and allow people to have control mary access points (Refer to Box 4). For
over the content they wish to obtain, this more expensive ICTs, especially, these
has not happened. Intermediaries are still organizations are the logical groups that
needed because of the sheer volume of could house the ICTs, provide the needed
information and data that are available and manpower, and have the likely capability
are being created. to pay for the services, even without com-
Also, these newer ICTs sometimes mercial use.

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 33

 Second, the task of identifying applica- mediaries for bringing information and
tions and needed content will have to knowledge to more people.
begin with these sectors. This is tied with An example of an integrated approach
the sustainability of the operations. The of using ICTs for development is illustrat-
more relevant the uses and content of the ed in the case in Box 5, “Landbank-B2B
available ICTs, the more people will use Pricenow.com strategic E-commerce
them, thereby increasing demand and pos- Program”.70
sibly attracting private capital. However, It provides an example of how the gov-
the issue of sustainability will not only be ernment (Landbank), the private sector
about the financial sustainability of main- (B2B Pricenow.com), and civil society
taining the ICTs, but also the sustainabili- organizations (cooperatives) can work
ty of the communication process between together to leverage resources (economic,
the ICT-equipped intermediaries and the human, social, technological) to address
community that does not have connectivi- issues of access, training, marketing and
ty or access to the needed information.69 sustainability using ICTs for development.
Third, it is likely that many local com- In conclusion, while ICTs are develop-
munities will not have the needed techni- ing rapidly, society is not changing as fast.
cal expertise to launch a community infor- Norms, values, habits and social realities
mation development plan on their own. which exist can not be ignored, and must
Thus, skills development is where govern- be linked with any plan to use ICTs for
ment, the private sector, and civil society development. In the end, the collaboration
groups could collaborate in providing the of all stakeholders concerned is the best
needed training for people to gain the way of increasing the chances of success-
skills necessary for maximizing the use of fully integrating the use of ICTs in the
the ICTs. They could also serve as inter- lives of the community.

Box 4. The Role of Local Government Units

The 1991 Local Government Code (LGC) of the Philippines, every local government unit has
the authority to handle, manage, and operate any government-funded or assisted project for
its maintenance and sustainability. With this provision, the local government may engage in
partnerships or take initiatives to undertake a community information system development proj-
ect that will bring in a wide range of opportunities to the locality.
At the local level, especially in poorer municipalities, the first line of access will tend to be
LGUs. As such, LGUs could create the initial demand for basic ICTs. Often, LGUs are the first
access point for ICTs, whether basic ICTs such as telephones, fax, etc. They are also potential
customers that private providers can be more assured of as being able to pay for services that
will be provided.
LGUs can also serve as ideal sites for establishing access points. They may have the phys-
ical facility, the resources, and people to man the services, that are crucial for the sustainabili-
ty of such services.
Questions for the LGU to consider:
1. What are the current and future information needs of the community?
2. Is the present information and communication infrastructure enough to serve these needs?
3. What should the local government do to improve people’s access to essential information?

34 Bridging the Information Divide

 Box 5. The Landbank-B2B Pricenow.com
strategic E-commerce Program 70
The Land Bank of the Philippines is a gov- —endorse b2bprice.com to the Bank’s
ernment-owned universal bank. Being a gov- clientele as an alternative trading and
ernment owned company, Landbank is man- marketing medium for its products
dated to provide financial and technical assis- —advertise its program and its benefits
tance to cooperatives. With the credit financ- to its clients
ing the Bank extends to cooperatives are —design information materials for dis-
technical assistance, like institutional building, semination
capability enhancement, enterprise develop- —provide technology loans for the pro-
ment, technology development and market- curement of computers
ing assistance. Under the Bank’s marketing B2Bpricenow.com shall
assistance is the provision of marketing —conceptualize and design the website
forum to cooperatives where they meet buy- —shoulder all programming costs
ers of their commodities and sometimes the —administer and maintain the website
Bank extends its assistance by directly con- —include Landbank as a strategic part-
tacting large corporations to assist the Bank- ner in all applicable advertisements free
assisted cooperatives. A marketing program of charge
created by the Bank is the “Palengke sa ere” —enlist bank-assisted cooperatives in
which is a radio-based partnership that airs the website
from 5:00-7:00 AM and 6-8 PM. The cooper- Under the partnership, Landbank shall
atives’ produce and the buyers’ requirements provide hardware (computer with internet
are advertised during the program. Because access) to development assistance centers
of this, more private companies have bought (DACs) nationwide. DACs are bank units in
the cooperatives’ produce. charge of institutional and enterprise assis-
With the success of the Palengke sa Ere tance to cooperatives in the area. There are
and the advent of the “new economy”, the 21 DACs nationwide. As of March 2003,
Landbank planned of expanding the program Landbank had been able to conduct 19 of
to a new media, the Internet. The plan was to the 21 scheduled road shows.
create a website where cooperatives can New developments
post their commodities online and transact A tripartite agreement was forged
through the Landbank. During the planning between Landbank, Polytechnic University of
stage, a lot of IT companies approached the Philippines (PUP) and B2Bpricenow.com
Landbank to provide an electronic marketing as an off-shoot of the program. This new
site for farmers. Being a government bank, agreement was to establish IThubs through
Landbank refrained from endorsing private the member universities of the Philippine
companies where a monetary payment was Association of State Universities and
involved. Of the companies that signified Colleges (PASUC), which PUP is the lead
interest, only B2Bpricenow.com took the ini- university. The IThubs shall serve as training
tiative of providing its website for free. It centers of this e-commerce program.
meant free membership for cooperatives and Various government agencies and pri-
free advertising for Landbank. vate institutions have partnered with
Partnership roles and responsibilities: B2Bpricenow.com to obtain training for their
Landbank shall: target beneficiaries and proponents.
—organize road shows and trainings for The next phase of the program is the
bank-assisted cooperatives development of a payment gateway where
—monitor and assess the program with sellers and buyers can transact and pay on-
respect to cooperative registration and line. Landbank has allotted an amount for
trainings conducted the development of a payment gateway that
—conduct information dissemination will cater to the on-line payment of coopera-
campaign to bank-assisted clients tives and buyers.

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 35

 ENDNOTES

1 Neumann, W. Russell (1992). “Epilogue: Communications policy in crisis” in The

Telecommunications Revolution. Past, Present ad Future. Sapolsky, Harvey M,
Rhanda J. Crane, W. Russel Neumann and Eli M. Noam (Eds.). Routledge
London and New York.
2 Rubery, J. and D. Grimshaw (2001) .“ICTs and empployment: The problem of job
quality” The Digital Divide: Employment and Development Implications.
International Labor Review. Vol. 140 No.2 2001/2 International Labor
Organization.
3 Cariño, Ledivina V. (1983). “Concepts and Issues in Social Access to Basic Services.”
In Paiva, J.F.X and Ledivina V. Cariño (Eds.) (1983). Increasing Social Access to
Basic Services. United Nations UNICEF-APDC, Kuala Lumpur, page 10.
4 Duncombe, Richard A. (2001) Information, Technology, and Small, Medium and Micro
Enterprise Development in Botswana. Doctor of Philosophy Thesis. Institute for
Development Policy and Management.
5 Campbell, D. (2001) “ Can the digital divide be contained?” The Digital Divide:
Employment and Development Implications. International Labor Review. Vol. 140
No.2 2001/2. International Labor Organization, page 140.
6 World Bank (1998) World Development Report 1998/99. Knowledge For
Development. The World Bank.
7 Richardson, Don (2000) Rural Access: How Can Connectivity Contribute to Social
and Agricultural Development. TechKnowLogia, March/April 2000. Knowledge
Enterprises Inc.
8 Steinmueller, W.E. (2001). “ICTs and the possibilities for leapfrogging by developing
countries.” The Digital Divide: Employment and Development Implications.
International Labor Review. Vol. 140 No.2 2001/2. International Labor
Organization. page 194.
9 Champy (1993) Reengineering the Corporation. HarperCollins Publishers. New York

36 Bridging the Information Divide

 NY.
10 Osborne, David and Ted Gaebler (1992). Reinventing Government. Penguin Books.
USA
11 Grieco and Holmes, 1999
12 Greene, R.W. (2000). GIS in Public Policy. Using Geographic Information for More
Effective Government. pp. 9-15
13 Malonzo, Reynaldo O. (2001) “GIS for Decision Making in Local Governance and
Solving Community Problems.” (unpublished).
14 Campbell, D. (2001)
15 World Bank (1998), World Development Report 1998/99. Knowledge For
Development. The World Bank.
16 Gomez, Ricardo, and Hunt Patrik (1999). Telecentre Evaluation. A Global
Perspective. International Development Research Centre.
http://www/idrc.ca/telecentre/evalutation/nn/00_Cov.htm
17 Roche, Edward Mosley and Michael James Blaine (1996). Introduction: information
technology, development and policy. In Information Technology, Development
and Policy. Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Challenges. Edward M. Roche
and Michael J. Blaine (Eds). Avebury.
18 Rodriguez, Francisco and Ernest J. Wilson (2000). Are Poor Countries Losing the
Information Revolution? InfoDev Working Paper, May 2000.
19 op.cit.
20 op.cit.
21 Lopez, Enrique J. and May Gonzalez Villaseca (1996). ITas a global economic tool
. In Information Technology, Development and Policy. Theoretical Perspectives
and Practical Challenges. Edward M. Roche and Michael J. Blaine (Eds).
Avebury.
22 op.cit. page 4
23 Ogden, 1957, as cited in Roche and Blaine
24 Lopez, Enrique J. and May Gonzalez Villaseca (1996).
25 Brown, John S. and Paul Duguid (2000). The Social Life of Information. Harvard
Business School Press
26 Lopez, Enrique J. and May Gonzalez Villaseca (1996).
27 Carr, Nicholas (2003). “ITDoesn’t Matter,” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81, No. 5,
May 2003
28 see Brown, John S. and Paul Duguid (2000). The Social Life of Information. Harvard
Business School Press , and also see O’Farrell, Clare (2001). Information Flows
in Rural and Urban Communities: Access, Processes and People. UDRSA
Conference 2001.
29 Avgerou, Christanthi and Tony Cornford (1998). Developing Information Systems.
Concepts, Issues and Practice (2nd Ed).
30 Heeks, Richard (1999). Information and Communication Technologies, Poverty and
Development. Development Informatics Working Paper No. 5 June 1999.
31 President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Speech given during cocktails hosted by E-
Store in honor of Mitsui Executives (2001)
32 MTPDP 2001-2004: 52
33 MTPDP 2001-2004: 51
34 MTPDP 2001-2004, see Chapter 4
35 Ancheta, Arthur P., Benjamin F. Mora, Cyril R. Avila, Emmanuel R. Estrada, Ferdinand
L. Radores, Philip A. Varilla (May 1992). Rural Telecommunications Policy
Recommendations. In D.G. Velasquez (Ed.) Policy Papers. A review of
Telecommunication Policy Issues and Recommendations for the Philippines
Today. (DOTC, Manila, 1992). The authors say that 1047 municipalities were
considered unserved. One problematic issue however pertain to what it means

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 37

 to be “served” . Would the existence of any phone line already mean it is served,
or at least underserved?
36 from presentation of Engr. Nestor S. Bongato, Chief, Management Information
Division, TelOf, DOTC at “The Health In and Of the Multipurpose Community
Telecenters: An Action Workshop held at the Lauremar Hotel, Opol Misamis
Oriental (26-27 June 2003).
37 Ancheta, et.al (1992) page 151
38 National Statistics Office (NSO) (2001). “Communications.” NSO Philippine
Yearbook. NSO.
39 From Oliva, Erwin article in Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 21, 2003, quoting Bjarne
Munch on a Meta Group Telecom Model study of the Philippine telecommunica-
tions industry.
40 From interview with Denis Villorente of the Applied Science and Technology Institute
(ASTI).
41 Kirkman, Geoffrey (1999) “It’s more than just being connected” p. 13
42 Heeks, Richard (2002). “I-development not e-Development: Special Issue on ICTs
and Development”. Journal of International Development 14(1).
43 “Landbank-B2B Pricenow.com strategic E-commerce Program: A Case Study” pre-
sented at the Knowledge Networking for Development and Empowerment: A
southeast Asian Workshop
44 Hocson, Tess (2002-unpublished). The Ivatan Foundation for Development
Communications, Inc (IFDCI). Case Report.
45 From focus group discussions conducted in the municipality of Carmona on the
impact of ICTs in Philippine households.
46 Mansell and Steinmueller (2000). Mobilizing the Information Society. Strategies for
Growth and Opportunity. Oxford University Press, pages 66-67.
47 www.barangay-mct.org or www.barangayconnect.ph
48 For more information, visit the e-Barangay website at http://www.barangay.net.ph and
Escalante City official website at http://www.escalantecity.gov.ph.
49 see Diamond, David (1993). “One Nation, Overseas” Wired Magazine (January
1993) http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.06/philippines.html (downloaded
June 3, 2002 and Doyo, Ma. Ceres P. (2002). “The Men the OFWs left behind.”
Philippine Daily Inquirer December 14, 2002, p. 1.
50 Labiste, Ma. Diosa (2003). “What a difference a phone makes.” Philippine Daily
Inquirer. May 25, 2003. P. B14.
51 from SMARTTelecom press release April, 2002.
52 Robredo, Jesse (1999) “Creating Customer Focus in City Government” in Leadership
and Change in City Management. Asian Cities in the 21st Century. Contemporary
Approaches to Municipal Management. Asian Development Bank. ADB Institute,
pp 74-90
53 At the national level, the Philippine National Library was made online in 2001
(www.nlp.gov.ph). In fact, 205 public libraries in the provincial, city and munici-
pal levels have been linked as part of the Public Library Information Network
(Publin) project (Lacuarta, 2001). This is potentially a good network and platform
from which information crucial for successful implementation of e-governance
could be established.
54 Natividad, Joey (2003). i-Governance: new wave in Naga City government’s political
administration. TODAY, August 24, 2002, p. 4
55 Arceo-Dumlao, Tina (2002). “Phone comes to Samar town 126 years late.” PDI. Dec.
1, 2002: A1.
56 Philippine Daily Inquirer (May 17, 2003). “Text mad RP tests education program via-
mobile phones
57 from Michael Minges, et. al. (2002) Pinoy Internet: Philippine Case Study.

38 Bridging the Information Divide

 International Telecommunications Union, page 23.
58 Adapted from Heeks, Richard (1999). Reinventing Government in the Information
Age. International Practice in IT-enabled public sector reform.
59 Although one also has to consider the privacy and legal issues involved with this
option.
60 Alampay, Erwin (2003). “Using the Capabilities Approach to analyze access to infor-
mation and communication technologies (ICTs) by the poor” a paper presented
at the NASTConference in Manila Hotel (July 10, 2003).
61 Cariño, Ledivina V. (1983), page 27.
62 Kirkman (1999), page 5.
63 Adapted from the National Information Technology Agenda (NITA) of Malaysia. See
http://www.nitc.org.my/nita/index.shtml (downloaded May, 25, 2003)
64 see Avgerou and Cornford (1998), page 39.
65 Kirkman (1999), page4.
66 ITECC Strategic Roadmap 2003: Priority Projects and Project Descriptions
67 From interview with Undersecretary for ICTs Virgilio Pena of the DOTC
68 Whyte, Anne. (2000) Assessing Community Telecentres. Guidelines for Researchers.
International Development Research Centre. Ottawa, ON, Canada.
69 see McConnel, Scott (1998). Connecting with the Unconnected: Proposing an
Evaluation of the Impact of the Internet on Unconnected Rural Stakeholders. In
The First Mile of Connectivity: Advancing telecommunications for rural develop-
ment through a participatory communication approach (Don Richardson and
Lynnita Paisley, Editors). Food Agriculture Organization (FAO).
h t t p : / / w w w. t e l e c o m m o n s . c o m / u p l o a d d o c u m e n t s / j a n 9 9 % 2 D h t m l % 2 E h t m
(1/11/2001) and also see Richardson, Don (2000)
70 this case was abridged from a case study prepared by the Land Bank of the
Philippines for the “Knowledge Networking for Empowerment and Development:
A Southeast Asian Workshop” held at the ADB Regional Headquarters,
Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 39

 ANNEX A

Government Hotlines and Textlines

Civil Service Commission Text CSC
Send messages to 0917-TEXTCSC (0917-8398272).

Department of Education DETxt hotline. For general concerns, type: "NAME

[space] TOWN [space] SCHOOL[space] MESSAGE"
and send to 09194560027. For specific teacher con-
cerns, such as payroll, step increments, etc., type:
"NAME [space] EMPLOYEE NUMBER [space] DIVI -
SION NUMBER [space] STATION NUMBER [space]
MESSAGE" and send to 0919-456-0027 .

Department of Energy Enertxt Hotline. For complaints and questions regard -

ing any energy issue or development in the energy
industry, Type "DOE [your message]" then send to
2920

Department of Finance DOF Hotline numbers: (02) 404-1774 and (02) 404-
1776. DOF Hotline Center operators will be ready to
receive calls from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Department of Foreign Affairs DFA Passport Direct

Tel. (632) 737.1000. DFA Passport Direct is a passport
renewal service. It offers the ultimate convenience of
transacting over the telephone and having the renewed
passport delivered to you wherever you are.

Department of Health Text DOH

Type "DOH [your message]" or "DOHSEC [your mes-
sage]" then send to 2960
SARS Hotlines
Call 741-7048 / 743-1937
SARS Textlines
Type "MED SARS" then send to 2333 for Globe sub-
scribers or 257 for Smart subscribers
OR Type "SARS [your message]" then send to 2960

Department of Interior and Local Government, Patrol 117. Dial 117 on your PLDTLandline to make an
Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire, Bureau emergency call. An emergency call is a call that refers
of Jail Management and Penology to an incident or a situation where a person's life or
property is in danger or threatened.
Department of Labor and Employment
DOLE Information Hotline Nos.: 527-2127 ; 527-3516
Public Assistance and Complaints Unit: 527-3507

Department of Transportation and Communication DOTC Hotline. Air complaints, express recommenda-
tions and suggestions, report transport abuse, smoke
belchers or colorums. Call Hotline number 7890
Text DOTC. Air complaints, express recommendations
and suggestions, report transport abuse, smoke belch -
ers or colorums. Type "DOTC [your message] [your
name]" then send to 2299

Government Service Insurance System Text GSIS. GSIS members can send and receive text
messages from the GSIS on their loan queries. The
GSIS will text its members regularly for advisories and
updates. To register, members just have to type "GSIS
Reg [Policy#] [Last Name] [First Name]" and send to
248 for Smart users or 2390 for Globe users.

Metro Manila Development Authority MMDAHotline

Call the 24-hour MMDAHotline "136" to report vehicu-
lar accidents or send complaints. Callers can also ask
for street directions, schedules of high and low tides,
and weather reports. Subscribers to Smart may dial
136. Globe users need to dial 02 then 136.

40 Bridging the Information Divide

 ANNEX A

To text MMDA: Type "MMDA[your message]" then

send to 2947 for Globe and 288 for Smart.

National Statistics Office NSO Helpline Plus. Dial the 24-hour hotline: 737-1111.
Apply for certifications of birth, death, marriage or no
marriage through a customer care officer, take note of
instructions on how to pay for the service, and the
requested document will be delivered via courier to the
caller's home.

National Wages and Productivity Commission Information and Publication Division Hotline
(632) 5275519 Wages, incomes, and productivity infor-
mation Direct Line

NCC - Field Operations Office Text NCC-FOO Send queries and suggestions via
mobile phone. Type NCCFOO, space, followed by a
question or comment and send it to 2960.

Office of the President Text GMA. Send your messages to:

09178398462 (0917-TEXTGMA)
09178985462 (0917-TXTKGMA)
09178982462 (0917-TXT2GMA)
09198984621 (0918-TXTGMA1)
09198984622 (0918-TXTGMA2)
09198984623 (0918-TXTGMA3)

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration TXTOWWA. Send your messages to 0917-TXTOWWA

(0917-8986992) OWWA Hotline 551-1560 / 551-6641

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation PhilHealth TxtCntr. Send your messages to 0918-
9219999. Healthline 637-9999

Philippine National Construction Corporation Text PNCC. Text your inquiries, observations, give
comments/suggestions, traffic inquiries or report acci -
dents. Type "PNCC [your message]" then send to 2299
Call the PNCC Hotline numbers 1340 and 1341 to help
the motorists during emergency situations. The Hotline
may also be dialed to inquire traffic situations along the
stretches of both North and South expressways.

Philippine National Police The Magic Eye Txt Patrol 2910. To send a text mes -
sage or report, type "CW [message]" and send to 2910.
You can also receive latest update from the NCRPO or
receive a crime prevention tip for the day.
PNP Text 2920. Report erring police personnel, send to
messages 2920

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration TxtPOEA. Inquire about recruitment agencies, job
vacancies and other information on POEAand over-
seas employment. To ask for assistance on txtPOEA
services, Type "POEAHELP" and send to 2385 for
Globe or 276 for Smart.
POEAHotline. 24-hour information center with tele-
phone hotlines 9221144 and 7221155. Info services
and processes and overseas employment updates.

Ask SEC. 1908-1-ASKSEC (1-908-1-275732) A

Nationwide Government Hotline. Investigate on any
Securities and Exchange Commission investment scheme before you invest. (Toll fees apply)

Text-SSS. Allows members to inquire about their num -

ber of contributions and status of loan applications.
Social Security System To get step-by-step instructions and help with key-
words: Type "SSS HELP", then send to 288 for Smart
or 2931 for Globe subscribers.

Technical Education and Skills Development TESDA- SMS. To ask questions to and about TESDA,
Authority type "TESDA[first name] [last name] [question]" and
send to 2333 for Globe or 332 for Smart.

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 41

 ANNEX B

Some useful local

resources and links

Advanced Science and Ph Domain Foundation:

Technology Institute www.phdf.org.ph/profile.html
www.asti.dost.gov.ph Address:
Address: Advanced Science and 11/F Strata 100 Bldg.
Technology Institute, ASTI Building, C.P. Emerald Ave., Ortigas Center,
Garcia Avenue, Technology Park Complex, Pasig City, Philippines
U.P. Campus, Diliman, Quezon City,
PHILIPPINES The PH Domain Foundation is the social
outreach arm of the local PH Domain
ASTI hosts the online registration for .Gov.Ph Registry (dotPH). It is a SEC-registered
domain. This service is free of charge at the Internet-based non-stock, non-profit organi-
moment, and is only applicable to govern- zation seeking to provide free unlimited
ment organizations / agencies / institutes. For email service to people in remote rural
those who wish to register for .GOV.PH areas towards the upliftment of the quality of
domain, they could access http://dns.gov.ph. life in these communities.
ASTI also conducts training and lecture activ- Equipped with the technical capabilities and
ities to further develop the capabilities of stu- technology to connect remote areas with
dents and engineers and to update them both email and Internet access, and con-
about the latest advances in I.T. scious of the endless possibilities of the
Internet in changing people’s lives, the Ph
National Computer Center Domain Foundation seeks to popularize the
www.ncc.gov.ph use of Internet email in the Philippine coun-
tryside as a tool for empowerment.
The NCC lends its full support to the gov- It partners with local rural area-based
ernment’s ICT thrust by forging strategic groups - whether an NGO, PO, civic organ-
alliances with the private sector, coordinat- ization, religious , educational or media
ing ICTactivities, developing human capital, institution with enough interest, willingness
promoting ICTutilization in all sectors of the and the organizational capability for imple-
society, and advocating Philippine ICT serv- mentation of its core *free email connectivi-
ices worldwide. ty project.
Free LGU Website Template
The NCC is the lead agency for promoting Bureau of Agricultural Statistics
the use of ICT in government. It launched www.bas.gov.ph
the eLGU program to guide local govern-
ment units in the Philippines on how to The BAS serves as the central information
make use of Internet in their provision of source and server of the National
access and use to information and other Information Network (NIN). It also provides
services. NCC encourages all LGUs to cre- technical assistance to end-users in access-
ate their own websites and make them ing and analyzing product and market infor-
available to the public. mation and technology.
With this objective, the NCC has developed Its website contains online statistics on fish-
an LGU Website Template. The template is eries and agriculture, as well as updated
like a pattern in which the LGU may modify prices of selected commodities and weekly
and further develop the content according to updated commodity reports, with bulletins
what their websites to appear. This is dis- and monographs on agriculture and fish-
tributed free of charge to LGUs. eries industry.

42 Bridging the Information Divide

 ANNEX B

Bookmark these sites

Portals
Official Government Portal www.gov.ph
Global Pinoy www.globalpinoy.com
Yehey www.yehey.com.ph

Main government related ICT organizations

Dept. of Transportation and Communication www.dotcmain.gov.ph
National telecommunications Commission www.ntc.gov.ph
National Computer Center www.ncc.gov.ph

Main ICT providers

Philippine Long distance Telephone Co. www.pldt.com.ph
SMART Telecom www.smart.com.ph
Sun Cellular www.suncellular.com.ph
Bayantel www.bayantel.com.ph
Globe Telecom www.globe.com.ph

Mass media
ABS-CBN Corporation www.abs-cbn.com
GMA Network www.igma.tv
RPN www.rpn9.com
Inquirer and GMA www.inq7.net
Manila Times www.manilatimes.net

Academic
University of the Philippines System www.up.edu.ph
UP Open University www.upou.org
Department of Education www.deped.gov.ph
Commission for Higher Education www.ched.gov.ph

Health
Department of Health www.doh.gov.ph
Securities and Exchange Commission www.sec.gov.ph

E-commerce
Bayantrade www.bayantrade.com
Ayala.com www.myAyala.com
B2Bpricenow.com www.B2Bpricenow.com

Others
Census www.census.gov.ph
Social Security System www.sss.gov.ph
Government Social Insurance System www.gsis.gov.ph

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 43

 ANNEX C

Potential hosts for local

community content on the web
These are some of the sites that could host the local government website for free
and one can find more of these when searched on the web. Most of the sites
include pop-up advertisements from their sponsors. The free space determines
how much content will be placed on your website. The higher free space avail-
able -- the more text, graphics, multimedia, pages, etc. can be uploaded to the
site.

Site Name Web Address Free Space

Angelfire angelfire.lycos.com 30MB
Brinkster www.brinkster.com 30MB
Crosswinds www.crosswinds.net 999MB
Free Homepages www.freehomepages.com 50MB
Free Websites www.freewebsites.com 50MB
Geocities geocities.yahoo.com/home 15MB
GreatNow www.greatnow.com 100MB
Prohosting www.freeprohosting.com 50MB
SDF www.freeshell.org 10MB
Tripod www.tripod.lycos.com 20MB

Free email providers

Just like free web hosting, there are numerous sites that offer free email servic-
es. An email account has a corresponding free space, higher free space would
translate to bigger spaces for receiving and storing e-mails.

Site Name Web Address Free Space

AEMAIL4U www.aemail4u.com 6MB
Hotmail www.hotmail.com 2MB
Lycos login.mail.lycos.com 5MB
Pinoymail www.pinoymail.com --
Yahoo! mail.yahoo.com 6MB
PH Domain

44 Bridging the Information Divide

 ANNEX D

Establishing Telecenters
What is a Telecenter? dering access to ICTs. Aside from diffus-
It is a community-based facility that ing information, the services and content
caters to the information and communi- of applications of the telecenter is more
cation needs of the people. It provides localized and is operated based on the
information services using different inter- community’s information needs.
mediaries, assists learning, and access to
new forms of communication. A Components of a Telecenter
Telecenter may take any form, from a The components of a Telecenter are
simple community information center to the following:
a network of computers with advanced Place—to house the equipment and
telecommunication capabilities. facilities, and for easy public access
Equipment—includes software and
How do Telecenters hardware, resource materials, telecom-
provide information? munications equipment, and others
It gives the community shared access People—manage the operation of the
to information. The telecenter will be set telecenter, conducts social marketing and
up to address community information provides assistance to learning and tutori-
needs through relatively low-cost infor- als/training
mation services. These services may Services—refers to information and
include research resources and materials, communication services such as access
database on community/government to resource materials, word processing
information, news materials, tutorial and desktop publishing services, tutori-
services, resource CDs, word processing als, mobile communication services, and
services, desktop publishing, phone serv- internet access.
ices, internet access, and other cus- In other places telecenters are recog-
tomized services depending on the com- nized based on strictly defined character-
munity’s needs. The telecenter will serve istics, namely:
as a multiplier of information at the heart a. Having the ability to operate and
of the community that will strengthen its offer viable services to the community on
information structure. a network wide basis or individual basis;
b. Having a level of up to date infor-
How do telecenters differ from mation technologies and associated
commercial cybercafés and equipment to deliver the required rele-
computershops? vant services;
The primary goal of the community c. Being a community owned, man-
telecenter is to provide multi-purpose aged and incorporated (shared) – not for
information services that will accommo- profit; and
date any person in the community d. Being situated in a rural or remote
regardless of income, sex, ethnicity, edu- location or at least not in already urban-
cational attainment, and other factors hin- ized area

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 45

 ANNEX D

Reasons for settingup a Telecenter a. Many households demand for

Broadly speaking, a telecenter can be access to ICTs to communicate with fam-
considered as a community’s information ilies in other places
system. The reasons for developing b. Families demand access to the so-
information systems would generally be called Internet and such facilities
to: (1) provide solution to a specific prob- c. Constituents demand for a more
lem; (2) respond to a pressure; or (3) efficient system of the provision of infor-
exploit an opportunity. mation services through ICTs
Responding to a Specific Problem d. The education sector (students,
In most cases, projects are conceived teachers) wants to expand their knowl-
to address parallel problems/issues or edge through ICTs
matters of concern. These projects are e. The private sector needs a stronger
implemented in reaction to the actual sit- ICT infrastructure to make business
uation or to prevent future problems from transactions more efficient
occurring. One basic problem is the iso- Exploiting an opportunity
lation of many rural barangays not only These projects are always tagged as
from the main areas of commerce but innovative. It introduces new and distinct
also from their own poblacions or local means to improve services. Some of the
governments. This isolation deprives opportuntiies that the community might
them from obtaining needed basic servic- see in such a project are: i) The need to
es, such as health information, livelihood improve on the provision of govern-
and extension programs, as well as com- ment’s services through ICTs; and ii) The
munication facilitlies for emergencies. need to improve information and com-
Responding to Pressure munication infrastructure of the commu-
Pressure can come from the organiza- nity to meet the growing demands of the
tion’s environment or from within its services.
own consituencies. A good example is The community can consider:
the passage of E-commerce Act. The law a. Introduction of ICTs in the commu-
allowed public offices to perform their nity for better literacy and more compet-
functions and transact business using itive workforce in the IT industry
electronic data messages or electronic b. Introduction of ICTs in the commu-
documents and it also strongly encour- nity to empower the constituents by using
ages them to adopt computerized infor- government-based on-line transactions
mation systems. The effect of course is and services.
that the government institutions, in c. Introduction of ICTs in the commu-
essence, are “pressured” to implement nity to create a better business environ-
projects that use information technology ment and generate higher tax revenues
(IT) in its operations in order to improve d. Introduction of ICTs to help the
services to the people. Pressure can also local industry ( e.g. farmers, fisher folks,
originate from the constituents, other workers, etc. )
authorities, and stakeholders. Examples e. Introduction of ICTs to introduce
of these are: the community to the world

46 Bridging the Information Divide

 ANNEX D

Telecenter Ownership managed

and Management —Community owned and managed
There are various options that can be —Other arrangements
considered with respect to the ownership It is up to the local government what
and management of the telecenter. The scheme to enter into. However, telecenter
primary considerations will be the physi- anecdotes indicate greater success for
cal structure, location where the telecen- community owns or managed telecenters.
ter could be housed, technical considera-
tions like electricity and proximity to Information Needs
telecommunications infrastructure, and The information needs really depends
human resources requirements for the on the information system in the commu-
daily operation of the project. Some of nity. But to have a quick assessment, the
the options for the management and own- local government must first name specif-
ership of the telecenters are: ic sectors, then list down what informa-
—Local government owned tion they usually access, process, and use
and managed in their activities.
—Local government owned- As a guide, answer the following
private sector managed questions in this order:
—Local government owned- WHO are the different segments/
community managed sectors in the community?
—Private sector owned and WHAT information is needed
Sector Info Needs Medium Place

Books
School Library
Students Research Reading Materials
Home
Telecphone

Innovative means
of planting crops
Canvassing in
Crop Pricing Market
Farmers Poblacion
Market Prices Neighbors
Regular Visits
Loans and
Financing

Profile of the Surveys

Municipality
Government community Network of volun-
Barangay
GIS teers (e.g. BHWs)

Home
Communication Letter via Tricycle Local meeting
Households with other rela- Phone places (e.g. sari-sari
tives/friends Post Office
store, church, etc.)

Sample Summary Assessment of a Community Information System

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 47

 for their activities? ties identify the information needs of
HOW do they access those their constituents? The following are
information or by what medium? some of the more common methods, and
WHERE do they get that they can be used in combination, depend-
information? ing upon the group’s available resources
WHEN do they get and and time constraints.
use the information? —Consultation
The process includes four essential —Survey
elements: (1) source/sender, (2) the infor- —Questionnaire
mation, (3) the medium, and (4) the —Observation
receiver. One can add the time and place Furthermore, some LGUs have
on how it is communicated. (See Sample Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP),
Assessment) which can be a good starting point for
identifying the community’s information
Identifying Information Needs needs. Also, it won’t hurt to compare or
How do organziation and communi- learn with other telecenter projects.

48 Bridging the Information Divide

A Philippine Guidebook on ICTs for Development 49
National College of Public Administration and Governance,
University of the Philippines

Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM),

University of Manchester

This work was carried out with the support of the Asian Media Information and
Communication Centre (AMIC), and the aid of a grant from the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the Asia-Pacific Development
Information Programme (APDIP) of UNDP.