Wazzup Pilipinas!New DICT Officials have been appointed into Office during an Oath-Taking Ceremony which was held at the
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Building on September 13, 2016.
Atty. Jorge V. Sarmiento was sworn in as Undersecretary for Management and Operations; Ret. Gen. Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. was appointed as Undersecretary for Special Concerns; Engr. Denis F. Villorente was appointed as Undersecretary for Developmental and Innovations, and Atty. John Henry D. Naga was appointed as Assistant Secretary.
Functions of the Undersecretaries According to a Memorandum from the Secretary, each Undersecretary position is designated to manage specific areas within the DICT:
Undersecretary for Management and Operations is tasked with managing the internal processes of the Department, which includes financial, administrative, and legal management, as well as Procurement. The position also provides assistance to the Secretary in supervising the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
Undersecretary for Special Concerns is charged with the formulation of policies, planning, and programming of Cybersecurity and Emergency Communications, and the implementation of strategic programs and projects, and regional operations. The position also holds a supervisory role of the Cybercrime Investigation Coordination Center (CICC), the National Privacy Commission (NPC), and the COMELEC Advisory Council (CAC), as well as overseeing duties regarding the participation of the DICT in the activities of the NDRRMC.
Undersecretary for Developmental and Innovations is in charge with the formulation of policies, planning, and programming for ICT development which includes Human Capital Development Programs and Research and Development. The position is also tasked with the conceptual and technical development and support of strategic programs and projects of the DICT that covers connectivity, e-Government, e-Society, and e-Innovation. The Undersecretary for Developmental and Innovations is also designated to oversee the participation of the DICT in the activities of the NEDA ICC Board.
Following the draft IRR of Republic Act 10844, the Department of Information and Communications Technology had an Oath-Taking Ceremony for the Newly-Appointed DICT Officials. This is in line with the Department’s mandate of providing ICT solutions in key development areas that will aid the country’s nation-building initiatives.
Appointment letters were received perfectly in time with the conducting of the visioning exercises of the department. This activity was done in the efforts of determining the direction and aspirations to be pursued by the whole organization and on how it will fulfill its mandate to the Filipino nation.
The following officers are to be sworn into their respective positions: 1. ATTY. JORGE V. SARMIENTO – Undersecretary for Management and Operations He served as Deputy Commissioner of the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC). During his stint at the NTC, he initiated structural regulatory reforms in the telecommunications, broadcasts, and TV industries like updating of the NTC Rules of Practice and Procedure together with stakeholders, among others. A graduate of Political Science at the University of the Philippines, and Bachelor of Laws at the UP College of Law, He is also a former Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration, Assistant Secretary for Postal Services Office, and Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), with the rank of UnderSecretary.
2. GEN. ELISEO M. RIO, JR. (RET.) – Undersecretary for Special Concerns He’s had significant experience in the military, where he held various positions over a span of 30 years, where he was promoted to Brigadier General and was appointed as Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Communication, Electronics and Information Systems Service from July 1999 to March 2000; and as Deputy Chief of Staff over the span of 2000.After retiring as Brigadier General, he was appointed as Commissioner of the National Telecommunication Commission which he held from February 2001 to October 2002. Following this, he was also Chairman of the Board of NextMobile (formerly Nextel, Philippines) from February 2006 to January 2007.
3. ENGR. DENIS F. VILLORENTE – Undersecretary for Developmental and Innovations Our next official is the former Deputy Executive Director for e-Government of the Information and Communications Technology Office. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Engineering, earning his MS and BS Electrical Engineering degrees in 2001 and 1989 respectively. He conceptualized and started the Integrated Government Philippines (iGov) Project, and established the Philippine Open Internet Exchange (PHOpenIX)
4. ATTY. JOHN HENRY D. NAGA – Assistant Secretary He has substantive experience in the legal profession that involve cases in telecommunications and broadcast media. He has in-depth knowledge in Legal, Government and Corporate Contracts, and has hands-on experience in Corporate Legal Management and Labor Relations Cases. He pioneered the conversion of all GMA TV Stations from analog TV to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcast. He graduated Bachelor of Arts in Humanities with Professional Certificate in Management in the University of Asia and the Pacific, and graduated Bachelor of Laws in San Beda Collage, where he received an Academic Honor Award.
Hand-picked by the Secretary
The newly-appointed officials were chosen by DICT Secretary Rodolfo A. Salalima, with each having significant experience in different areas in government service.
Undersecretary Sarmiento expressed his gratitude during the Oath-Taking Ceremony, and asked for the assistance of every DICT employee to make the Department one of the best Departments in the bureaucracy,
"Napakalaki ng ating katungkulan or responsibilidad na inatas sa ating lahat... The Department, especially the Secretary and senior officials will only be successful or effective kung magtulungan po tayo. Our battle cry is that of unity, discipline, and teamwork."
Undersecretary Rio expressed the same sentiment by declaring that the newly-appointed Senior Officials will do their best effort in their new positions, and that they will need the help of the DICT Staff,
"Lahat ng aming kakayaning gawin ay gagawin natin para sa 'ting mahal na DICT. Newlyappointed official - kami yun. Kayo [DICT staff] ay matagal na rito, kaya sa inyo kami kukuha ng lakas at mga impormasyon para mapaunlad natin itong DICT."
Undersecretary Villorente stated that the new Senior Officials is a very experienced group, each with more than a decade of experience in government and public service.
"We hope and expect that everyone will align their efforts. We are here to serve and to provide good service at tulungan po natin ang ating butihing Secretary."
Secretary Salalima closed the Oath-Taking Ceremony by expressing that the new Department is one that is for the people, and of the people, whether in private or and in government; with the new Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretary, the DICT will do its best to better serve the Filipino, as mandated by the Law.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
