What sort of emphasis does the Philippines' economy lay on the IT sector and what has the government done to provide a fillip to this sector?
After the love bug, the Philippines suddenly gained recognition. And honestly, I believe that the Philippinos have the mental capability to excel in this arena. Considering the IT revloution here, it seems an appropriate sector for the Philippines.

After our Presidents trip to the United States and his talk with Bill Gates, he is certain that IT is something that is good for the country. We have introduced computers to the schools, and even the government is linking up with India, with Birla Software Consultancy Services, for example. Computer education is something that will be prioritised right from the grassroot level. Besides this, we have been training our teachers as well. We are offering scholarships to teachers as well for the advanced computer education. The module is custom made. It is to teach teachers to teach children. The infrastructure is something that is yet to be addressed.

We still have problems with our telecommunication. The whole system actually has to be improved because Philippines consists of 7100 islands, and communication is very critical and vital for its development. Philippines, in fact, is processing some loans, and also encouraging some companies, so that the telecommunication system can be upgraded.

What sort of partnerships are you looking for in India?
IT is one field we know in which the Indians are at the moment excelling. We hope that there is a partnership with some company here or we could invite the company from India to come to the Philippines and we would be able to gain access as well the opportunities the industry presents. I am possibly looking for both the talent as well as the investments. At the moment, I am just `shopping around'. I hope that in the near future we will be able to strike something.

Do you have any specific plans to spread IT education in the Philippines and do you see any participation from India in this area?
There is the Philippines cyber college in the Philippines which is a newly set up school that provides computer education. The aim of this school is to provide greater access specially for the marginalised sectors. This cyber college has recently tied up with a Polytechnic college in the Bulacan Province that I represent. We are also considering a partnership with a company in Hyderabad through which we hope to get IT moving in the Philippines. We are also setting up a technopark for which I hope to gather some ideas on my trip to Hyderabad.

Could you comment on the dotcom scenario in the Philippines?
The dotcom is becoming very popular. One requirement is the introduction of computers in the public schools and Internet connectivity. In fact, the subscriptions for the Internet connectivity have gone up substantially. The dotcoms are something that cannot be stopped. It will be there and it is up to us to maximise this opportunity.

How exactly do you hope to leverage India's IT talent through your partnerships?
As for attracting the talent, I'd rather the Philippinos come to India. Because it is we who must learn from you. Even the aim of the tie-up of the cyber college to the company in Hyderabad is to send people over to learn. The idea is really to tie up with these institutions and be able to share and learn from each other. We have also been championing the cause for the use of IT in local governance. It is the only way for governments to proceed in order to be effective and responsive, to cut down on costs as well. We have teamed up with the World Bank to train the local government officials in the eastern European countries and convince them to apply IT into their governments. In my country, we are visited by local government officials and we are showing them how we have done this in my province.