WHEREAS, Section 24, Article II (Declaration of Principles and State Policies) of the 1987 Constitution states that, "The State shall recognize the vital role of communication and information in nation-building";

WHEREAS, the government, further recognizing that ICT is one of the major sectors for economic growth and, as such, has resolved to fully implement a national ICT program that shall optimize the utilization of ICT;

WHEREAS, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), created through Executive Order (EO) No. 269, s. 2004, is tasked to be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, and implementing administrative entity of the Executive Branch of Government that will promote and develop integrated and strategic ICT systems and reliable and cost-efficient communication facilities and services;

WHEREAS, the CICT, as an empowered national body, is keen to work closely with the private sector to encourage ICT-related business and investment, enhance the skills of the country's workforce, pursue meaningful infrastructure, and promote e-governance, consistent with Philippine goals to compete in the global ICT market;

WHEREAS, the government recognizes the need to harmonize and coordinate the government's and private sector's ICT programs and projects and other ICT-related initiatives to ensure their consistency with the government's overall development goals as well as to encourage the principle of developing ICT that is private sector-led, market-based and government-enabled;

WHEREAS, ICT is one of the development themes of the Philippine Cyber Corridor Super Region, created through EO No. 561, s. 2006.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby proclaim the month of June of 2008, and of every year thereafter, as "National Information and Communications Technology (ICT)" Month. The National ICT Month shall be under the auspices of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, with the cooperation of other government agencies and private organizations that are involved in the development of ICT in the country.

All heads of departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the national government, including officials of the local governments, are hereby called upon to coordinate with the CICT to implement the plans, programs and activities geared toward the objectives of this Proclamation.

Non-government organizations as well as other organizations are hereby encouraged to take full cognizance of this Proclamation and fully cooperate in the attainment of its goal and activities.

All presidential acts, letters of instructions, executive orders, rules and regulations, proclamations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Proclamation, are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 28th day of MAY, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Eight.


By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary