By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios
Business moguls, Information and Communications Technology experts, and Academia believe that digital transformation will spell a big diffence in the growth and development of the economy, or to lead to the economic recovery.
Cisco, the worldwide leader in technology, launched UGNAYAN 2030, a collaboration framework with government leaders, industry, and academia aimed at building greater digital resilience by unlocking the value of digitization in the Philippines. UGNAYAN 2030 is part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program.
Strategically aligned with the national digital agenda of the Philippines, UGNAYAN 2030 is envisioned to launch several key digitization initiatives aimed at growing the country’s GDP, creating jobs, and promoting innovation and next-generation skills development across the private and public sectors.
Cisco’s CDA team collaborates with national and state governments worldwide to accelerate their national digitization agendas and deliver beneficial services to their citizens faster and more effectively. With UGNAYAN 2030, Cisco aims to create a platform on which existing, ongoing, and upcoming ICT-related plans can be enacted, whether it be access to Cisco technology, knowledge-sharing, or stakeholder engagement.
“There is a lot of talk about digital transformation this year, but there are many missing pieces before we even begin to consider ourselves digitally transformed. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital resilience not just for companies, but for the overall economy, and the need to focus on it urgently. This pandemic will not be the last challenge that will turn the world upside down, and we see every day what happens when we are not ready,” said Karrie Ilagan, Managing Director of Cisco Philippines.
“Institutions from the public and private sectors have written up several plans and created roadmaps for the country’s digital journey, but there is an urgent need to now implement these plans due to COVID-19. Organizations know what to do, but the real challenge is being able to do it. At Cisco, we are committed to work with all stakeholders to play a role in building digital resilience across the country,” said Ilagan.
Cisco aims to bridge three factors that impede implementation: uneven access to ICT resources, weak cross-organizational structure and ICT adoption, and limited expertise and manpower. Through UGNAYAN 2030, Cisco intends to invest its technologies, infrastructure, tools, knowledge and expertise to empower crucial stakeholders to enact their digital transformation plans.
There are three key pillars and flagship projects that Cisco intends to focus on as part of UGNAYAN 2030: Connectivity in building a high-speed and reliable information highway; Collaboration in building an integrated and inclusive ecosystem; and Cybersecurity. Together, these pillars build the foundation of digital resilience in the Philippines.
Naveen Menon, President of Cisco ASEAN, said: “At Cisco, we are committed to building an inclusive future where no one is left behind. Cisco’s CDA Program plays a key role in that by developing strategic partnerships with governments across the world. Now officially active in 37 countries, encompassing two-thirds of the world’s population, 75% of global GDP, and with over 900 projects completed, CDA initiatives align with a nation’s priorities and bring digital solutions to unique societal challenges. We are looking forward to the positive impact that initiatives under UGNAYAN 2030 will deliver to the people of the Philippines and its economy.”
Key projects envisioned under UGNAYAN 2030 are:
- Connectivity
- Cisco-PLDT Joint Private 5G Trial: An end-to-end incubation platform where enterprise and vertical industries can develop a wave of relevant use cases on 5G
- Collaboration
- Cisco-ACCESS Health Research: An in-depth study to examine the status of digital technology integration in primary care
- Cisco collaboration with the Department of Health: Provision of virtual meeting and communication solutions that can enable healthcare practitioners to deliver services remotely
- Konektado: A disaster response suite of communication solutions that is easy to use for non-technical users
- Digital Learning: Working in collaboration with PLDT, provision of connectivity to schools via mobile bus that allows students to connect to the internet and access online modules specifically in the Department of Education portal
- Baguio Smart City: A full build-out of a new, state-of-the-art Command Center, which can serve as the city’s eyes and ears to ensure that its citizens and visitors have a safe and enjoyable stay
- Cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity Management Framework: An assessment of the COVID-19 Interagency Task Force to measure, manage, and reduce cybersecurity risks
“We’ve never been as busy as we have been than this year, but the speed of innovation not just by Cisco but also our ecosystem partners is something we’ve never seen before. I am looking forward to building on that momentum so we can collectively make a lasting impact on the Philippines economy,” added Ilagan.
