Geneva, Switzerland—The Philippine delegation, led by ICT Secretary Ivan John E. Uy, received major global awards during the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2023 from International Telecommunications Union for its Cybersecurity education program and two other ICT projects, on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
The project dubbed “Cybersecurity Education in the Philippines in the Face of New Normal Adversities” of DICT Region IX and Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi (Basulta) was lauded among the 18 winners, out of 900 competing entries for this year’s run.
The said winning project has equipped over 70,000 plus Filipinos on Cybersafety, Data Privacy, and other related topics through onsite, online, and on-demand modalities.
“The CyberSecurity program conducted various advocacy activities and training on CyberSecurity to ensure the safety of Filipinos online, especially during the pandemic when most people relied on the Internet for entertainment, education, work, business, health, and even social activities,” shared Assistant Secretary for Regional Development and concurrent Officer-in-charge of DICT IX Basulta Maria Teresa M. Camba.
This win marks the fourth consecutive year that DICT IX and Basulta takes home the award from the worldwide competition. The projects recognized from the previous years were “Zamboanga Digital Hub” in 2020, “Enabling Educators in Remote Teaching and Learning Training Program” in 2021, and “Free WiFi for All in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas in Western Mindanao” in 2022.
“This recognition is a testament to our commitment to promoting and advancing ICT innovation and excellence in the government sector. We accept the challenge that this award presents and we will continue to strive for excellence in our work,” said during his acceptance speech.
He also thanked DICT’s partners and colleagues for their commitment and efforts to advance ICT for the benefit of the country and the global community.
The WSIS Prizes is a global contest where exceptional ICT projects are recognized for their support in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.