By Pierre Tito Galla, co-founder and co-convener, Democracy.Net.PH

The market size of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in the Philippines is estimated at USD 28.13 billion, contributing about 8.5% to the country’s GDP, and creating an estimated 11.3 million jobs.

Recognising that ICT is a significant driver of the Philippine economy, investment in ICT was declared to be one of the priorities of the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from its beginning in 2022 and continues to be so in the middle of his term in 2025. However, with 2025 being a midterm election year, initiatives towards improving the state of ICT policy, regulation, investment, and growth were seen to be not as aggressive as in previous years.

Key Governance Trends

ICT governance trends in the Philippines have been leaning towards the implementation of previously enacted policies and the strengthening of existing institutions, with an eye on opportunities to explore further reforms that could be characterised as low hanging fruits.

Reorganising Institutions to Strengthen ICT Leadership

• A significant governance milestone is the reorganisation of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev). DEPDev’s charter was legislated by Republic Act No. 12145, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on April 10, 2025. DEPDev is a prime mover of various ICT reform initiatives .

Digitalising Government Services through the e-Gov SuperApp

• Further evidence of the Philippine government’s priorities regarding ICT are the continuous rollouts of the e-Gov SuperApp. Launched in June 2023, the government, through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), is continuing efforts to encourage the use of the app while simultaneously onboarding more government services into the app.

Implementing Frameworks for the Digital Economy

• Similarly, the government in June 2025 began implementation of the Internet Transactions Act (Republic Act No. 11967, enacted December 2023) and the value added tax (VAT) for digital services (Republic Act No. 12023, enacted in October 2024).

Key Policy Trends

Strengthening ICT Infrastructure Policy to Enable Long-Term Investment

• In addition, the Philippines has achieved a significant ICT policy milestone – the enactment of Republic Act No. 12234, or the “Konektadong Pinoy (Connected Filipino) Act.” An initiative originally filed in the Philippine House of Representatives in 2017 as the “Open Access in Data Transmission Act (OADTA),” the Konektadong Pinoy Act mandates the adoption of an open access model for the data transmission industry, which promotes the following:
• Efficient authorisation and registration of industry players;
• Fair and open competition;
• Mandated transparency in pricing;
• Transparent and equitable spectrum management framework;
• Infrastructure sharing.

The enactment of the Konektadong Pinoy Act is expected to encourage investment in the Philippine ICT sector, benefiting incumbent telecommunications service providers as well as emerging digital transmission and internet service providers.

• Several legislative initiatives are also in their final stages of the policymaking pipeline in 2025, all of which are also expected to encourage greater investment in the Philippine ICT sector. These include the Investors’ Lease Act, the E-Governance Act, and the ARROW Act.
  • The Investors’ Lease Act extends the maximum period for which foreign entities may lease land in the Philippines from 25 to 99 years. This longer lease horizon is designed to support large-scale ICT infrastructure investments.
  • The ARROW Act relaxes rules relevant to eminent domain and right-of-way (ROW) between owners of privately held land and government entities and private sector companies. By simplifying the acquisition of right-of-way sites for private infrastructure projects intended for public use – including ICT infrastructure projects, particularly involving wired technologies – the act is expected to make project implementation less cumbersome.

Accelerating the Digital Transformation of Public Governance

• The E-Governance Act is designed to facilitate the transition of government services onto digital platforms, with the goal of making such services more accessible and efficient for citizens. Its implementation is expected to put pressure on the ICT services sector to expand reach, enhance network speeds, and improve reliability across the Philippines. Similar momentum is expected from tDICT, which issues Department Circular No. HRA-001, “Adoption of a Standards-Based Approach to Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP) Compliance,” wherein standards are imposed on government agencies in their acquisition and procurement of ICT goods and services. This circular aims to optimise government ICT resources and streamline related projects, ensuring their comprehensive harmonisation and alignment with national ICT priorities.

Fostering Trust and Security in the Evolving Digital Marketplace

• On the other hand, the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan (NCSP) 2023-2028 has been slow. Only one (1) cybersecurity-related policy has been released in 2025: National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 001-01-2025, “Guidelines on the Management of Internet Traffic and Reporting Mechanism of Internet Service Providers.”

The MC is intended to enhance the resiliency and security of the Philippine internet infrastructure by improving network protection, reduce the likelihood of harmful traffic within networks, mitigate the risk of data breaches, protect users from cyber-attacks, and manage internet security posture. The NTC prescribes the use of a protective domain name service (DNS) for all internet service providers (ISPs), with ISPs choosing between using the protective DNS managed by the DICT or their own.

• In parallel, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued Department Administrative Order No. 25-07 series of 2025, “Implementing Rules and Regulations on the E-Commerce Philippine Trustmark,” establishing a voluntary trust mark in a bid to encourage trust of the public regarding e-commerce transactions.

Overall, in 2025, the Philippine government focused on ICT policy initiatives encouraging investment in the Philippine ICT sector, with some initiatives in cybersecurity and e-commerce.

Looking Ahead: on the Direction of Evolution

The Philippines continues to look for opportunities to improve its ICT policies. Some initiatives are akin to small actions of moving building blocks around, such as the movement of the Education Center for AI Research (E-CAIR) system from the DTI to the Department of Education (DepEd), intended to be fully implemented in June 2025.

Other initiatives, such as those recently presented by the National ICT Planning, Policy, and Standards Bureau (NIPPSB) of the DICT, involve more ambitious reforms. These include proposals for the enactment of a Cybersecurity Act and the establishment of a Cybersecurity Bureau, an NTC Revitalisation Act to align regulatory governance with the demands of digital communications, and a Spectrum Management Act to update the 1930s-era Radio Control Law (Act No. 3846) towards readiness for 21^st century realities, among others.

As of this writing, the evolution of ICT governance and policymaking in the Philippines is characterised by fits and starts that include reforms with potentially significant impact. There is still much opportunity to improve policymaking coherence, of which the Philippines has the talent and time to leverage.

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are solely of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views and position of the Tech for Good Institute.