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"SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
s.No.2458 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
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NOV 18 P 1 :46 
CREATING A TASK FORCE ON INFORMATION SERVICES TECHNOLOGY 
DEVELOPMENT TO FOSTER THE FREB MARKET DEVELOPMENT AND 
BENEFICIAL USE OF ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS AND 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 
EXPLANATOh NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 9, mandates: 
The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will 
ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people 
from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, 
promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved 
quality of life for all. 
IT-related industries and BPO/contact centers are two of the highly prioritized 
sectors in the Investment Priority Plan. There is a need to develop responsive policies that 
foster the free market development and beneficial use of advanced communications 
networks and information technologies. This can be accomplished through the creation 
of a task force on information services technology development. Thus, urgent passage of 
this bill is earnestly sought. 1 
1 This bill is patterned after Senate Bill No. A02573 or the Ne~York State Assembly. 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
s.No.2458 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
Srnl1tr 
ti}H(~r vf t\1f ,~rrt1"hn ~ 
'14 
NOV 18 P 1 :46 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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AN ACT 
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CREATING A TASK FORCE ON INFORMATION SERVICES TECHNOLOGY 
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DEVELOPMENT TO FOSTER THE FREE MARKET DEVELOPMENT AND 
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BENEFICIAL USE OF ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS AND 
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 
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SECTION I. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared to be the policy of the 
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State to develop policies that will benefit Filipinos by fostering the free market 
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development and beneficial use of advanced communication networks and information 
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technologies. 
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SECTION 2. Creation of the Task Force on Information Services Technology 
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Development. - The Task Force On Information Services Technology Development is 
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hereby created with the following objectives: 
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I. 
Promote the development of a framework that will ensure that the Philippines 
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has an aggressive information technolo~ (IT) economic development process that 
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focuses on creating, retaining, and recruiting IT companies under circumstances 
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which foster technological and knowledge based innovations, entrepreneurship, 
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and investment in a trained and skilled workforce; to increase national, 
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international, and global awareness of the Philippines as an environment ideally 
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suited for the successful advancement of the information technology business 
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sector; 


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2. 
Promote 
the development of strategies to ensure that K-12 educational 
institutions develop policies and programs that promote technological innovation 
and improve education in order to enhance the country's innovative capacity and 
create a more productive citizenry that can navigate, adapt, and prosper in the 
information economy; 
3. 
Promote the development of strategies to assist educational institutions in 
establishing policies and programs that will produce a highly skilled 
IT 
workforce, and encourage public/private partnerships in the development of IT 
curriculum, research, funding, and training; 
4. 
Promote the development of policy recommendations to ensure that the public 
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and private sectors will focus on bridging' the gap between the information-rich 
and the information-poor in order to foster equal access to IT for all Filipinos; 
Promote the development of strategie~ ensure that government institutions 
use technology to increase the quality and cost-effectiveness of their services, 
while also fostering broader use of information technologies 
among 
and 
between residents and businesses. Also, to promote the development of policies 
which ensure that government serves as a catalyst for advancing the digital 
economy by refocusing government procurement power, and provide a critical 
mass of digital services; 
6. 
Evaluate laws, rules, and procedures to ensure that they facilitate, or at least do 
not hinder, the growth of electronic commerce (eCommerce); 
7. 
Evaluate whether laws, rules, and procedures should be created, amended or 
repealed to reflect the impact of eCommerce on our state and to foster the growth 
of eCommerce while protecting consumer rights; and 
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Promote 
the 
development of policies to ensure that the Philippines has 
sufficient communications infrastructure and high bandwidth capacity to support 
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our growing information economy; to evaluate the sufficiency of IT research and 
development centers to ensure that the Philippines has 
an environment that 
continuously develops new technologies :hid applications. 
SECTION 3. Composition. - The Task Force shall consist often members. It shall 
include the following public officers and priva~ citizens: 
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1. Department of Science and Technology Secretary as the lead .person; 
2. Secretary of Education; 
3. Commissioner on Higher Education; 
4. National and Economic Development Authority Director General; 
5. Representative from a wireless telecommunications company; 
6. Representative from an Internet service provider with more than one million 
customers; 
7. Representative from the entertainment industry; 
8. Representative from a computer or telecommunications manufacturing 
company; 
9. Representative from a cable television provider; and 
10. Representative from the tourism industry. 
SECTION 4. Appropriation. - The initial funding for this Task Force is five 
million pesos (P5,000,OOO.OO) which shall be charged against the current appropriations 
of the lead agency, which is the Department of Science and Technology. Thereafter, such 
sums which shall be necessary for the continued'ilflplementation of this Task Force shall 
be charged to the General Fund and included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 5. Report. - The Task Forc~Shall report its findings, conclusions, and 
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recommendations to Congress one year after it is created and convened. The Task Force 
may develop and publish other documents throughout the year as it deems necessary 
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and/or appropriate. 
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SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid 
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or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
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remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
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executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to 
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. or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
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accordingly. 
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SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
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its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
/dpm 
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