DICT Visayas Cluster 2 regional director Frederick Amores (left) with PRWorks founder and CEO Doris Isubal-Mongaya (right) (Photo courtesy of PRWorks)
CEBU CITY – There is more that needs to be done to foster digital transformation to help businesses adapt to the new normal, an official of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) here said Friday.
Frederick Amores, regional director of the DICT Visayas Cluster 2, noted the big strides in the digital ecosystem such as “the emergence of more services and businesses that are digital in nature.”
Amores, however, noted several hurdles in terms of policy, costs, and awareness.
“The new normal has indeed accelerated the digital transformation in the different sectors of the community both in the private and public sectors. While there have been big strides in digital transformation such as the emergence of more services and businesses that are digital in nature, there is still much to be done in terms of digital transformation,” the DICT official told the VisMin Speaks, a series of interviews published online on PRWorksPH.com.
The interview series is to tap thought leaders in the Visayas and Mindanao with the direction of stimulating discussions on a roadmap through the new normal.
Amores, who was into a digital business before and involved in the Philippine Startup Community, talked about digital transformation for businesses in the southern Philippines.
He said businesses and the government need to "reinvent themselves".
There is also the challenge of adopting new delivery systems.
Having been active in helping startup communities and the rural impact sourcing program, Amores is expected to help speed up digital transformation in Visayas and Mindanao.
"There are still many businesses that still need to transform and fully embrace the new digital norms. This is particularly true to micro, small and medium enterprises. While many government offices have made use of ICT in their operations, many have yet to fully digitally transform,” Amores said.
Over the years, strides have been made in terms of building the country’s digital infrastructure.
Amores noted there are still areas that are not yet connected. The DICT has a number of initiatives to address this such as the Free WiFi project and the establishment of a government network.
He said the ultimate goal of any digital transformation is to make the organizations more efficient in terms of their processes and thus provide better service to their clients.
“The new normal has forced many businesses to think of how they can reach their market aside from their traditional avenues of service delivery. A very good example is how traditional bricks and mortar stores have established their online presence through various digital platforms. The challenge really for most organizations is how to reinvent themselves and adopt new paradigms in service delivery for their organizations be it a business or a government office,” Amores said. (PNA)
