CABANATUAN CITY — A leading information technology (IT) businessman said there should be a computer connected to the Internet in every Filipino home to give everyone access to livelihood and educational opportunities and bring the country firmly into the Information Age.

“This is not an impossible dream, but rather a realizable goal,” IT businessman Joey de Venecia III said during a visit here, as he called for the next administration to make this and IT education a sustained part of the national government budget.

De Venecia said a personal computer, Internet access, and information support will have an immediate and dramatic impact on Filipino families.

This would give them enhanced educational and livelihood opportunities that are only available from IT, and a means for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) families to re-integrate with their loved ones working abroad by commuting on the cyber-highway.

“Students will have the entire world as their library and they will hone up on the skills we need to become truly competitive in the 21st century. All OFWs abroad can be involved in the day-to-day lives of their families back home, while families can engage in IT businesses like e-commerce, and delivery of out-sourced services from their own homes,” he said.

One of the country’s pioneer IT businessmen, De Venecia said that because the cost of PCs have gone down drastically in the last few years, they should be a standard part of every household, much like television (TV) sets, electric fans and gas stoves.

Between the country’s three major telcos, Internet connection is also available just about everywhere in the Philippines, De Venecia added.

De Venecia said he had high hopes for the continued growth of the IT industry in the country.

“If there were a PC with Internet connection in every Filipino home, imagine how many millions could be part of online commerce,” he added.

According to De Venecia III, 100 percent penetration is not impossible or improbable.

He said one of the country’s ASEAN neighbors, Singapore, is close to attaining the goal of all households having PCs.