WHEREAS, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 10844, or the "DICT Act of 2015," as the primary policy, coordinating, implementing and administrative entity of the Executive Branch of the government that will plan, develop and promote the national information and communications technology (ICT) development agenda;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the foregoing mandate, the Cybersecurity Bureau of the DICT is holding the "Philippine International Cybersecurity Conference 2018" (PICC 2018) from 25 to 26 of October 2018, at the Grand Regal Hotel Davao City, to address the growing importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding the country's critical infostructure and people, and the increasing incidents of cybercrime in the country; and

WHEREAS, the National Cybersecurity Plan 2022 recognizes the need to improve the security and resilience of the country's cyberspace, including its critical information infrastructure, government information environment, and private networks;

NOW, THEREFORE, all heads of government offices, agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or-controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and state universities and colleges, are hereby enjoined to extend support and actively participate in the PICC 2018, by authorizing their respective key ICT officials to attend the said conference, on official time, with their expenses for transportation, subsistence, lodging and other fees chargeable against their respective offices and agencies, in accordance with existing policies of the Civil Service Commission, Department of Budget and Management, and the Commission on Audit, and subject to the usual budgetary, accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

This Circular shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 12thday of October in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Eighteen.