No disruption in services despite Secretary Uy's resignation — DICT

There will be no interruption in operations following the resignation of Secretary Ivan John Uy, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said Friday.

“The DICT assures the public that there will be no disruption in its services amid the leadership transition,” the agency’s spokesperson Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Renato Paraiso said in a statement.

“The Department looks forward to welcoming its new officer-in-charge who will complete President Marcos' vision of an inclusive and innovative Bagong Pilipinas for all,” he added.

At the same time, Paraiso told GMA Integrated News that many of them at the department “were caught unaware” Uy’s plan to resign and his reasons for stepping down.

“I think most of us were caught unaware. When I talked to my other colleagues in the execom, it’s a mix of emotions. Some, shocked. Some, fear of what’s to come. Of course, sadness,” Paraiso said.

He added that they were not asked for recommendations on Uy’s replacement but, “If you ask the executives, yes, an insider po siguro would be good para magtuloy-tuloy ang mga programang itinakda rin naman ng ating mahal na pangulo, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”

(An insider would be good so that the programs initiated by our president would continue.]

Paraiso also defended Uy’s performance, saying they “tried our best to fulfill the mandate. It’s a combination of a lot of unfortunate things, primary siguro yung kakulangan sa budget para isagawa yung mga gusto nating gawin. Second of it was certain limitations on laws, particular sa law on procurement kasi iba ang ict procurement. Pag nag-procure tayo, hindi puwede yung medyo matagal na na-experience natin with regards to procurement, especially with the evolution of technology being so fast.”

Paraiso cited as example the target of the Marcos Jr administration to put up 125,000 free wifi sites all over the country. The said program, he said, needed a budget of P60 billion for subscription alone. But for 2025, they were allotted only a total of P17.5 billion.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has accepted Uy's resignation on Thursday, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said.

According to Paraiso, Uy expressed his deep gratitude to Marcos for affording him the opportunity to serve the Filipino people as the DICT chief.

Paraiso said Uy supported President Marcos' call for digitalization and led the rollout of eGovPH App, eTravel, eLGU, and eReport.

Under Uy’s leadership, Paraiso said the Free Public Internet Access Program has been expanded to over 16,000 active sites nationwide, which is the program’s widest reach yet since the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act in 2017.

An updated National Cybersecurity Plan also has been issued during Uy’s term, Paraiso added.

“Under his leadership, the Philippines made significant strides in improving its global standing in government digital transformation, cybersecurity, connectivity, and inclusivity,” Paraiso said.

“The DICT acknowledges Secretary Uy's invaluable contribution in accelerating digital transformation across the bureaucracy and improving the country's ICT sector,” he added.

Before Uy, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista resigned in February due to health reasons. He has since been replaced by the new Transportation chief Vince Dizon.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cesar Chavez also resigned last month and has been replaced by ad interim PCO Secretary Jay Ruiz. — with Tina Panganiban-Perez/RSJ, GMA Integrated News