First regional ICT summit hosted in Philippines’ Lapu-Lapu City
CEBU, PHILIPPINES — Lapu-Lapu City recently marked a significant milestone in the ICT sector by hosting the first-ever Regional ICT Summit and Exhibitions (RISE) 2023.
Organized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), this pioneering event to highlight the impressive growth of the ICT industry in Central Visayas.
Undersecretary Jocelle Batapa-Sigue from the ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB) played a pivotal role in the summit. She focused on RISE’s commitment to enhancing IT-BPM Centers of Excellence and promoting digital inclusivity across the Philippines.
The summit also served as a platform to exhibit the capabilities of various ICT hubs in contributing to a diverse digital ecosystem nationwide.
The event particularly scrutinized Visayas’ — particularly the Region 7 — infrastructure and job market, aligning with the IT-BPM industry’s goal to create an additional one million jobs by 2028, largely outside of Metro Manila.
RISE successfully gathered leading ICT experts and investors, showcasing Region 7 as a promising location for IT-BPM growth, aiming to boost job prospects and attract further investments in the sector.
RISE also functioned as a crucial meeting point for different stakeholders, including BPO industry locators, ICT councils, and ecosystem builders like universities and technology incubators. Discussions at the summit revolved around the region’s preparedness for digital jobs, focusing on talent development, digital workforce competence, and business-friendly environments.
A key highlight of the summit was a high-level roundtable discussion on the IT-BPM industry, held at the Vista Mar Beach Resort and Country Club.
Central Visayas, comprising Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental, showcased its strength in the ICT sector at the summit, boasting over 100 companies and 200,000 employees.
The RISE summit was a strategic move by DICT to further nurture this sector and support the expansion of the digital economy.
Following the RISE summit, the eighth Philippine Startup Challenge (PSC) National Finals took place at the same venue on December 6, 2023. This competition encouraged college students to develop innovative ICT services with business potential, fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship among the youth and energizing the startup ecosystem with new, innovative ideas.
