Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

7049

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative FREDERICK W. SIAO

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION POLICY AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In recent years, the Philippines has been recognized as one of the top
internet users in the world, with
screen time every day.! The Digital 2019 report of social media firms Hootsuite and
We Are Social showed that Filipinos spent an average of four hours and 12 minutes

on social media platforms, almost double of the global average of two hours and 16

lipinos averaging 10 hours and two minutes of

minutes.?

And with more mobile subscriptions than there are people in the country—
109.2 for every 100 inhabitants, according to the Measuring the Information Society
Report 2017 of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)—the foundations
are there for the Philippines to blossom into a truly digital society. But just as the
experience with the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent Luzon-wide enhanced
community quarantine has demonstrated, several gaps and institutional deficiencies
persist—underscoring the need for a comprehensive digital transformation policy to
be rolled out and implemented, one that is especially focused on digital skills and
competencies.

+ https:/www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/0 t/world-internet-usage-index-philippines-10-hours-a-day
2 https:/ww. philstar.com/business/technology/2019/01/31/1889736ifilipinos-are-worlds-heaviest-intemet-users-
2016-report-says


Leveraging on the Filipinos’ interest and presence in the digital space and in
order to foster digital competency in support of the country’s economic and social
development goals, this bill seeks to create a national framework for digital
competency with focus on information and data literacy, communication and
collaboration, digital content creation, safety and problem solving. The proposed
digital competency framework is patterned after the European Commission’s
DigComp 2.03, which identified the five key components of digital competence.

Among the key provisions in the bill is the adoption of information and
communication technology (ICT) competency for teachers, since building digital
competency should encompass all forms of learning. The proposed provisions were
adapted from the 2011 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) ICT Competency for Teachers, aimed at helping countries
develop comprehensive national teacher ICT competency policies and standards and
integrate these in overarching ICT in education plans.4 A 2019 United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Report highlights that traditional
teaching curricula and training programs contribute to the enhancement of di

skills and at the same time, digital technologies facilitates learning by providing
education access to those who might not be able to benefit from formal education.

The bill also seeks to establish and institutionalize a national digital
transformation strategy, and a national digital skills development strategy to ensure
that every citizen is given the opportunity to understand ICT and develop the
necessary skills and ability to apply ICT in their everyday lives.

Finally, the bill also creates the National Digital Transformation Council who
will oversee policy formulation for the national digital competency framework and
facilitate the development and implementation of the proposed strategies under the
bill.

8 https://milunesco.unaoc.org/mil-resources/digital-competence-framework-for-citizens/
“ https://en.unesco.org/themes/ict-education/competency-framework-teachers
5 https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/dtistict2019d3_en.pdf


This measure falls under our broad effort towards the formulation and
sustained implementation of a “Tatak Pinoy” industrialization campaign and policy
that helps Filipino enterprises move up the value chain, Filipino entrepreneurs to
Produce better quality products, and Filipino professionals to render world-class
services.

This bill was originally filed by Senator Sonny Angara as Senate Bill No. 1470
and will serve as the House version.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

DERICK WxSIAO


COIYAHEWNHH

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. OE

Introduced by Representative FREDERICK W. SIAO

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION POLICY AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the

Philippines in Congress assembled:
TITLE T
STATE POLICIES AND BASIC PRINCIPLES
CHAPTER IT
State Policies

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Digital
Transformation Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of State Policy. - It is hereby declared policy of the State
to integrate digital technology into all areas of government that will greatly improve

Philippine governance, socio-economic development and services to people.
Consequently, the State shall create a plan that shall transform the government into
a digital platform providing transparent and accountable governance, efficient
operations, direct citizen engagement, and innovation.
CHAPTER II
Defini
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — The following terms as used in this Act shall

ins of Terms

mean:
(a) "2st century skills” refer to skills that are required by new jobs such as
critical thinking, problem solving, good communication, collaboration,

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(b)

©

(d)

(e)

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(9)

(h)

information and technology literacy, flexibility and adaptability,
innovativeness and creativity.

“Automatic and Artificial Intelligence” refers to combining technology
such as Robotics Process Automation or RPA, Artificial intelligence (AI)
and machine learning;

“Big Data and Analytics” refers to data discovery process using
techniques and tools like mining useful information or insights from
huge sets of data either structure or unstructured. This is enabled
through exponential increase in both computing power and storage
capacity;

"Cloud Computing” refers to the delivery of IT services hosted over the
internet to transform compute resources into a utility;

“Data” refers to a sequence of one or more symbols given meaning by
specific act(s) of interpretation. Data can be analysed or used in an
effort to gain knowledge or make decisions. Digital data is represented
using the binary number system of ones (1) and zeros (0) as opposed to
its analogue representation;

"Digital Competence” refers to the confident, critical, creative, relevant
and responsible use of, and engagement with, digital technologies for
learning or education, for work or occupation, and for participation in
society;

“Digital content” refers to any type of content that exists in the form of
digital data that are encoded in a machine-readable format, and can be
created, viewed, distributed, modified and stored using computers and
digital technologies, e.g. the internet. The content can be either free or
Pay content such as web pages and websites, social media, data and
databases, digital audio, such as mp3s, and e-books, digital imagery,
digital video, video games, computer programmes and software.

"Digital entrepreneurship” refers to combining __ traditional
entrepreneurship with new digital technologies, thus creating digital
enterprises which are characterized by a high intensity of utilization of
novel digital technologies, particularly social media, big data analytics,

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mobile and cloud solutions to improve business operations, invent new
business models, sharpen business intelligence, and engage with
customers and stakeholders;

“Digital services” refer to public or private services that can be delivered
through digital communication, such as Internet, mobile phone network
that might include delivery of digital information, data or content or
transactional services;

"Digital skills” refer to range of abilities, from basic to more advanced,
encompassing a combination of behaviors, expertise, know-how, work
habits, character traits, dispositions and critical understandings on the
use of digital devices, communication applications, and networks to
access and manage information;

"Digital technology” refers to any product that can be used to create,
view, distribute, modify, store, retrieve, transmit and receive information
electronically in a digital form such as personal computers and devices
like desktop, laptop, netbook, tablet computer, smart phones, PDA with
mobile phone facilities, games consoles, media players, e-book readers,
as well as digital television, and robots;

"Digital tools” refer to technologies used for a given purpose or for
carrying out a particular function of information processing,
communication, content creation, safety or problem solving;

"Digital Transformation” refers to the total and overall societal effect of
digitalization;

“Digitization” refers to the technical conversion from traditional to
digital;

“Innovation” refers to the creation of new ideas using new or existing
technologies that results in the development of new or improved
products, processes, or services, which are then spread or transferred
across the market;

"Internet of Things (IoT)” refers to everyday devices connected to the
internet through sensors and computing power to monitor and manage
actions, offering users greater influence over their environment;

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(q) "Social inclusion” refers to the Process of improving the terms for

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individuals and groups to take part in society (World Bank). Social
inclusion aims to empower poor and marginalized people to take
advantage of burgeoning global Opportunities. It ensures that people
have a voice in decisions which affect their lives and that they enjoy
equal access to markets, services and political, social and physical
spaces;
“Well-being” is related to the World Health Organization definition of
good health as a state of complete physical, social and mental well-
being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Social well-
being refers to the sense of involvement with others and with the
communities such as access and use of social capital, social trust, social
connectedness and social networks;
TITLE II

DIGITAL COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK FOR CITIZENS

CHAPTER I

Functions

SEC. 4. Digital Competence Framework for Citizens. — A Digital Competence

Framework for Citizens is hereby created. It shall serve as a tool to improve the
digital competence of citizens and a guide in the formulation of policies that support
digital competence building. The framework shall include education and training
initiatives to improve the digital competence of various specific target groups.

The essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that comprise digital

competence are, generally classified as follows:

(a) Information and Data Literacy. - The ability to articulate information

needs, to locate and retrieve digital data, information and content, to judge the
relevance of the source and its content and to store, manage, and organize digital
data, information and content. The skills are as follows:

1. Browsing, searching and filtering data, information, and digital content
2. Evaluating data, information, and digital content

3. Managing data, information, and digital content


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(b) Communication and collaboration. — The ability to interact, communicate
and collaborate through digital technologies while being aware of cultural and
generational diversity, to participate in society through public and private digital
services and participatory citizenship and to manage one’s digital identity and
reputation. The skills are as follows:

1. Interacting through digital technologies
. Sharing through digital technologies
. Engaging in citizenship through digital technologies
. Collaborating through digital technologies
. Netiquette
. Managing digital identity

(c) Digital Content Creation. —The ability to create and edit digital content, to
improve and integrate information and content into an existing body of knowledge
while understanding how copyright and licenses are to be applied, and to know how
to give understandable instructions for a computer system. The skills are as follows:

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1. Developing digital content

2. Integrating and re-elaborating digital content

3. Copyright and licenses

4. Programming

(d) Safety. —The ability to protect devices, content, personal data and privacy
in digital environments, to protect physical and psychological health, and to be
aware of digital technologies for social well-being and social inclusion, as well as to
be aware of the environmental impact of digital technologies and their use. The skills
are as follows:

1. Protecting devices

2. Protecting personal data and privacy

3. Protecting health and well-being

4. Protecting the environment

(e) Problem Solving. - The ability to identify needs and problems, and to
resolve conceptual problems and problem situations in digital environments, to use
digital tools to innovate processes and products and to be updated with the digital
evolution. The skills are as follows:


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1. Solving technical problems

2. Identifying needs & technological responses

3. Creatively using digital technologies

4. Identifying digital competence gaps

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and

the Department of Education (DepEd) in collaboration with the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) shall design and develop an instrument to measure and certify
citizens’ digital competence based on the framework. These agencies shall consult
experts in the field of various technologies necessary for digital transformation, such
as but not limited to cloud computing, automatic and artificial intelligence, robotics,
big data and other disruptive technologies.
CHAPTER II
ICT Competency Framework For Teachers
SEC. 5. ICT Competency Framework for Teachers. — An ICT-Competence
Framework for Teachers is hereby created. This shall be used to outline the
competencies that teachers, educators, and trainers need in order to integrate
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into their professional practice.
The framework shall be used to compare the teachers’ competencies in
different regions, provinces, cities, and municipalities in order to analyze and
develop educational programs and training courses for teacher professional
development at national or regional level.

The required competencies are defined as the intersections of the three

approaches to teaching, as follows:

(a) Technology literacy approach shall enable students to use ICT in order
to learn more efficiently and increase the extent to which new technology
is used by students, citizens and the workforce by incorporating
technology skill into the school curriculum. The goal of the technology
literacy approach is to enable learners, citizens, and the workforce to use
ICT to support social development and improve economic productivity.

(b) Knowledge deepening approach shall enable students to acquire in-
depth knowledge of their school subjects and apply it to complex, real-

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1 world problems; and increase the ability of students, citizens, and the

2 workforce to use knowledge to add value to society and the economy by

3 applying it to solve complex, real-world problems. The aim of the

4 knowledge deepening approach is to increase the ability of students,

5 citizens, and the workforce to add value to society and to the economy by

6 applying the knowledge gained in school subjects to solve complex, high

7 priority problems encountered in real world situations of work, society and

8 in life generally.

9 (c) Knowledge creation approach shall enable students, citizens and the
10 workforce they become, to create the new knowledge required for more
11 harmonious, fulfilling and prosperous societies; and increase the ability of
12 students, citizens, and the workforce to innovate, produce new
13 knowledge, and benefit from this new knowledge. The aim of the
14 knowledge creation approach is to increase productivity by creating
15 students, citizens, and a workforce that is continually engaged in, and
16 benefits from, knowledge creation, innovation and life-long learning. The
17 six aspects of a teacher's work, under the framework are as follows:

18 1. Understanding ICT in education
19 2. Curriculum assessment

20 3. Pedagogy

21 4. ICT

22 5. Organization and administration
23 6. Teacher professional learning

24 The modular structure of learning shall be encouraged. Teacher-education
25 institutions and providers of professional learning shall design offerings that address

26 and is aligned to the overall goals and rationale of the Framework.

27 PART III

28 NATIONAL DIGITAL SKILLS STRATEGY

29 CHAPTER I

30 Definitions

31 SEC. 6. National Digital Transformation Strategy. - A National Digital

32 Transformation Strategy shall be created. The Strategy shall ensure that every

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citizen shall have the opportunity to understand ICT and develop skills and ability to
apply the ICT in their work, vocation, business, and life in society. The Strategy shall

include, but not limited to:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(a)

(e)

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(h)

Affordable and clean energy and growth, which includes plans and
programs to ensure competitive costs as well as lower adverse impact to
the environment;

Digital inclusion, which includes plans and programs to spread growth
across the country, and identify potential areas for various industries to
unlock growth, increase skill levels, or promote local innovation;
Infrastructure, which includes concrete plans and strategies to develop
and upgrade performance on digital, energy, and transport
infrastructure, to effectively align central government infrastructure
investment with local growth priorities;

Institutional framework, which includes strategies and directions to
establish or improve existing institutions such as innovation councils,
local educational institutions, trade associations or financial networks;
Procurement policy, which includes concrete and specific plans in the
government procurement in order to drive innovation and enable the
development of effective, efficient and transparent supply chains across
the country;

Science, research, and innovation, which include concrete set of plans
and strategies to ensure a knowledge economy, create and
commercialize intellectual property that will promote and enhance the
global brand of the Philippines;

Sectoral engagement, which includes plans, policies and strategies
programs to enhance areas of competitive advantage, and help new
sectors to grown;

Skills, which include concrete plans and strategies to ensure that the
Filipino workforce is equipped with the relevant and necessary 21%
century skills for them to thrive in a modern economy and build learning
organizations and systems to benefit the everyone especially those who
are not able to attend or complete formal education, and enhance

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science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills and numeracy,
and raising skill levels especially in underprivileged areas;

(i) Trade and inward investment which includes plans and strategies to
boost productivity and growth across the economy by increasing
competition and helping to bring innovation and new ideas, systems and
Processes; and

(i) Supporting businesses to start and grow, where we the government
must ensure that businesses across the country can access the finance
and management skills they need to grow; and create the conditions to
enable firms to invest for the long term.

SEC. 7. Digital Inclusion. — The DICT shall enable all citizens, irrespective of
age, gender, physical ability, ethnicity, health conditions, or socio-economic status to
access the opportunities of the internet. Citizens, businesses and public services
must take full advantage of the transformational benefits of the digital revolution.
The Department must identify the root causes of digital exclusion in all sectors and
regions for the purpose of increase their digital competence.

The DICT shall identify and develop the full range of digital skills that
individuals and companies across the country need to address the requirements of a
digital economy and instill measures and programs for citizens to continuously up-
skill and re-skill throughout their working lives.

It shall also develop a strong collaboration between the public, private, and
educational sector to address the digital skills gap in a coherent and holistic way.

SEC. 8. Digital Libraries and Learning Hubs. - The DICT and the National
Library of the Philippines shall enhance and promote the role of libraries in improving
digital communication, increasing citizen's digital footprint, promoting digital
inclusion and transform these libraries as providers of digital access, training and
support for local communities.

SEC. 9. Digital Entrepreneurship. - The Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) and the DICT shall strongly promote the digitization of businesses according to
their own specific digital needs, mainly focused on these four core digital activities,
namely maintaining a web presence, selling online, using the cloud, and digitizing
back-office functions such as payroll and human resource management, in order to

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become or remain competitive. The DTI shall ensure that entrepreneurs undertake
the certification under the digital competence framework for citizens to identify areas
the need training and intervention.

SEC. 10. Digital Civil Service. - To ensure the highest standards of public
service, the DICT and the Civil Service Commission shall identify and consolidate all
the skills and competencies of public employees in the career service and
recommend and cause the conduct of digital skills training under an annual digital
skills mapping activity. All public employees shall be covered under a mandatory
basis of certification under the digital competence framework for citizens to identify
areas the need training and intervention.

CHAPTER II
National Digital Skills Development Strategy

SEC. 11. National Digital Skills Development Strategy. - The State shall
create digital skills development strategy that will:

(a) Identify the digital skills development goals for:

1, Primary education

2. Secondary education

3. Tertiary education, for students, and digital technology development and
design experts

4. Work-related digital skills training programs for out-of-school youth,
including for freelancers and part-time workers;

5. Work-related digital skills training programs for adults requiring re-skilling;

6. Skills for life in the digital economy for all citizens;

7. Training programs both for life and work for under-represented
populations;

8. Develop or plan for a digital entrepreneurship skills strategy.

(d)Inventory existing policies, plans and programs that support the
development of digital skills and analyze how they can be used to support
the goals of the digital skills strategy

(e) Benchmark the goals against existing frameworks or countries with similar
goals as well as identify the existing priorities and challenges in meeting

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the above goals as well as identify promising solutions for providing digital
skills that address the common challenges

(f) Identify current and future trends in relation to demographic trends,
technological changes, business trends, trade, industrial policies, and the
shift to a greener, digital and knowledge-based economy

(g) Identify available training programs, curriculum and providers that can be
leveraged to meet the strategy’s goals and develop new curricula where
necessary as well as identify gaps in training programs and curricula — and
identify providers and strategies that will help fill them.

(h) Identify and recommend new policies and programs that are needed and
conduct advocacy both using the existing policies and to build support for
new policies.

CHAPTER III
Digital Jobs
SEC. 12. Digital Jobs. - The DICT in coordination with Department of Labor
(DOLE) and other concerned agencies shall provide jobs which are in line with
freelancing, virtual work, homebased digital activities, and the like.
CHAPTER VII
National Digital Transformation Council
SEC. 13. National Digital Transformation Council. - The National Digital
Transformation Council is hereby created to ensure the effective implementation of
this Act.

SEC. 14. Composition of the Council. - The Council shall be composed of:

(a) DICT

(b) Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

(¢) DTI

(d) DOLE

(e) DEPED

(f) CHED

(g) TESDA

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(h) At least ten (10) members coming from the private sector that is involved
in digital skills development, digital industries and jobs, or digital systems
and products.

SEC. 15. Functions of the Council. - The following are the functions of the

Council:

(a) Take the lead in the formulation and implementation of specific rules for
the National Digital Competence Framework for Citizens;

(b) Oversee the development and implement the National Digital
Transformation Strategy, the ICT Teachers Competency Framework, and
National Digital Skills Development Strategy;

(c) Recommend, propose or endorse any measure related to the above
functions to concerned line agencies for purposes of administrative
concerns, to the private sectors, schools or other business entities for
policy guidance, and to Congress for policy purposes

(d) Provide a report to Congress and to the Office of the President on the
progress of the implementation of this Act

SEC. 16. Council Secretariat. - The DICT shall provide secretariat support to the
Council.
TITLE IV
COMMON PROVISIONS

SEC. 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the DOLE and DICT together with relevant stakeholders
shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of this Act.

SEC. 18. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the effective
implementation of the provisions of this Act shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act for the year following the approval of this Act.

SEC. 19. Repealing Clause. — All other laws, decrees, executive orders and
rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 20. Separability Clause — If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other
provisions hereof.

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1 SEC. 21. Effectivity — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
2 publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,

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