BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in cooperation with the city government, has launched a Tech4ED Center at the Baguio City Library, Burnham Park as part of its nationwide program.
Tech4ED stands for Technology Empowerment for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.
DICT regional coordinator Emil Aboy said the Center will serve as a knowledge area promoting digital literacy, business hubs and delivery channels of government services targeting out-of-school youth and adults, senior citizens, overseas Filipino workers and relatives, persons with disabilities, teachers, students, women, indigenous people and the general public.
“A project component of the DICT is focused on the use of ICT aimed to enable equal opportunities for the underserved and marginalized communities of the country’s rural and urban areas, empowering people towards a better life, transforming lives, making an impact and solving issues like the digital divide, educational disparity, unemployment, inadequate opportunities, and exclusive growth,” he revealed.
Aboy said ICT is the totality of any electronic means to access, create, collect, store, process, receive, transmit, present and disseminate data or information.
A Tech4ED Center has ICT equipment like computers with internet connectivity provided with access to the Tech4ED platform that has several segments. Each segment has components that aim to develop and enhance varying levels of knowledge and skills competencies of the various sectors of society especially the un-served and underserved.
The segments include eGovServ that provides links to government services and application forms; eAssist aims to empower special sectors through access to necessary skills training content in answer to specific industry needs; eEduSkills delivers e-learning on demand to address the educational divide; eAgri provides contents and services on agricultural technologies for farmers and fisher folk; eMarketPlace provides greater market reach beyond the entrepreneurs’ community for exponential economic growth and opportunities; and many more.
Both Secretary to the Mayor Raffy Tallocoy and acting city librarian Fe Requilman lauded the project as they encouraged the public to make use of the Center’s free services. They also reminded everyone to be responsible “netizens” in the use of technology. /Gaby Keith
