The results of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2005 showed the Philippines in a dismal 77th place, going a notch lower from its 76th ranking a year earlier.

The report measures the economic competitiveness of countries around the world. The rankings are drawn from a combination of hard data, which would necessarily include the use of ICT for development in each of the economies studied.

The country’s poor economic rating was made more appalling by the fact that the Philippines was eclipsed by some African countries whose economies were less advanced in the past such as Tunisia (40th) Ghana (59th) Namibia (63rd), and Morocco (76th).

India, the main rival of the Philippines in the ICT outsourcing market, ranked 50th, improving by five notches from its 2004 ranking. The World Economic Forum said the "improved position is due to a somewhat higher rank in the area of technology."

Finland, the country with the highest mobile phone density in the world, remained the number one in the Growth Competitiveness Index (GCI) rankings for the fourth time in the last five years.

The survey proponents noted Finland’s private sector for its "high proclivity for adopting new technologies and nurturing a culture of innovation."

The United States, as last year, was ranked second.

"The country demonstrates overall technological supremacy, with a very powerful culture of innovation. However, technological prowess is partly offset by a weaker performance in other areas measured by the index," the report said.

The World Economic Forum has been producing the report for 26 years, and its mix of hard and soft data has made it possible to accurately capture the broad range of factors seen to be essential to a better understanding of the determinants of growth.

What is ironic is that, in all these 26 years, the Philippines has failed to utilize this tool to identify and fix weaknesses in our policies for reform. — Melvin G. Calimag

Congrats to the

Cyberpress 2005-2006 officers

Want to read a piece of news overheard during the dinner prior to the election of the new board members of the Information Technology Journalist Association of the Philippines a.k.a. Cyberpress? Here’s one.

Some time this October, a new group will be born from the "womb" of STI Education Group. It’s founders include the son of one of the major stakeholders of STI and a well-loved (by the IT and education press) marketing communications/public affairs officer.

Is it a new business unit? Or a subsidiary? Or an independent party?

Watch out for it!

Clue: It will engage in integrated marketing and communications.

Meantime, kudos to the 2005-2006 Cyberpress Board Members and officers. They are: President - Abigail Ho (Philippine Daily Inquirer); V.P. for Internal Affairs – Lawrence Casiraya (ComputerWorld Philippines); V.P. for External Affairs – Alex Villafania (INQ7.net), Secretary – Bing Ramos (Philipine. I.T. Update); Finance Head – Arcie Estavillo (BusinessWorld); Memcom Chairman – Jing Garcia (Manila Times); Constitutional Amendments Chairman – Melvin Calimag (Manila Bulletin); Sectoral Representatives: On-line – Erwin Oliva (INQ7.net); Print – Joel Pinaroc (Manila Bulletin); and Trade – Terry Congjuico (Philippine I.T. Update). — Edison D. Ong

ICT case writing grants

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST), with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), is providing research grants to write case studies that deal with ICTs’ impact on social services, peoples’ participation, empowerment, governance, economic and gender, and development, among other things.

Applicants for the grants should be able to show the uniqueness in the intervention that it is important for development, and why ICT was used as a central tool and not other tools.

ICT4D Philippines Project will fund the case study, with the condition that the writing must be finished in less than six months after the awarding of the grant.Guidelines for the writing grants can be downloaded from http://ict4d.ph/grants/.

Proposals can be forwarded to grants@ict4d.ph or to Undersecretary Fortunato de la Peña, ICT4D Project Administrator, Department of Science and Technology, Bicutan, Taguig, Metro Manila. Applicants can also call Ms. Merlita M. Opena, Project Manager, telephone 837-75-37 or email her at mmo@ehealth.ph.

Deadline of proposal submission is October 31, 2005. — Melvin G. Calimag

Lucky Mae

It is a chance of a lifetime and she took it.

What is this very, very rare opportunity? Privilege? Honor?

It is making chika chika with the Emperor of Japan. An audience with him for 30 minutes.

Asked to comment and share her experience, Mae Rivera-Moreno, PR & Community Affairs Manager of Microsoft Philippines reported, "There were ten of us at the meeting - 6 participants of the TOYP and 4 members of the Osaka JC. We actually didn’t talk about IT at all. I asked about his daughter’s upcoming wedding, the history of the Imperial Palace. He even told me that he visited the Philippines with the Empress in the sixties during President Macapagal’s term. They actually met President (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo when she was fifteen."

Mae visited Japan from September 2 to 7 as a delegate of the Osaka Junior Chamber, Inc.’s The Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) program for 2005.

The day after she returned to the Philippines, Lucky Mae attended the September 8 General Membership meeting of the Computer Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dealers Association of the Philippines (COMDDAP).

It was a historical occasion. Microsoft Philippines was officially inducted as a member of COMDDAP. Also accepted as new member is Columbia Photo Sales Corporation. — Edison D. Ong