The 3rd ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting (ADGMIN), ASEAN Digital Senior Officials (ADGSOM) and Related Meetings was successfully hosted by the Philippines on 9 to 10 February and 6 to 8 February, respectively, in Shangri-La Hotel in the island of Boracay, Malay, Aklan, Philippines.

The Philippines, through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), had the privilege of organizing the event attended by Senior Officials and Ministers from ASEAN Member States (AMS). The ADGSOM was attended by the AMS, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam while the ADGMIN was attended by Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The ADGMINs and ADGSOMS also held a dialogue with their respective dialogue partners from China, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, United States, European Union, and the International Telecommunications Union.

The ADGMIN is an annual meeting where the AMS and Dialogue Partners exchange views on ICT development including among others, policy and regulatory updates, implementation of the ASEAN Digital Master Plan, and presentation of Work Plans for the upcoming year, i.e. cooperative/collaborative plans and projects. This year’s theme “Synergy Towards a Sustainable Digital Future” puts focus on digital transformation and utilizing a synergized human-centric approach, which is the key to a more stable and sustainable digitalization in the ASEAN region.

Secretary Ivan John E. Uy is the Chair of the 3rd ADGMIN while Undersecretary Jocelle Batapa-Sigue is the Philippines’ Senior Official and Chair for the 3rd ADGSOM. Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo served as the Head of Delegation in the 3rd ADGSOM. Other officials of the DICT also attended the meetings including Undersecretary Angelo G. Nuestro, Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa M. Camba, Assistant Secretary Heherson M. Asiddao, Assistant Secretary Philip A. Varilla, and Director Ma. Christina Abalos-Naig. Representatives from the attached agencies, National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Deputy Commissioner Jon Paulo V. Salvahan, National Privacy Commission (NPC) Director Maria Therista E. Patula, and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos also gave their support to the event.

The ongoing implementation of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 was highlighted in the meetings as well as the collaborations between the AMS and their dialogue partners. The Asean Member States have put an emphasis on cybersecurity, particularly on online scams which have been rising as of late, and also on digital startups that can help in boosting the digital economy of the region.

The National ICT Planning, Policy and Standards Bureau (NIPPSB), headed by Bureau Director Ma. Christina V. Abalos-Naig provided support before, during, and after the meetings as the Substantive Committee. The Substantive Committee worked closely with the ASEAN Secretariat to ensure smooth conduct of the meeting particularly on the agenda and documents used during the meeting.

The Substantive Committee played a vital role in ensuring that discussions in plenary sessions and side meetings were inputted in draft reports after the sessions. Other tasks included the drafting of the meeting agenda, interventions, the Joint Media Statements and the Boracay Digital Declaration. It also developed the General Information document containing information on meeting venues, transportation, accommodations, social nights and other necessary information.

The 4th ADGMIN, ADGSOM, and Related Meetings with Dialogue Partners will be held in Singapore sometime between January and February 2024, with Singapore as the host and chairperson. (https://dict.gov.ph/ictstatistics/the-philippines-hosts-the-3rd-asean-digital-ministers-meeting/)