Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)
Definition
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is a Philippine executive agency formed in 2016 to plan and promote the ICT sector, and it partners with industry to grow the IT-BPM base that powers Philippine outsourcing to global clients.
Signed into law as Republic Act 10844 on May 23, 2016, DICT absorbed the older Information and Communications Technology Office. It now sits as the primary policy body for national broadband, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.
For BPO operators, the department matters because it holds the ICT policy remit — bandwidth quality, cybersecurity baselines, and workforce training programs — that outsourcing employers depend on for delivery capacity and enterprise-grade audit posture.
Post-2020, the department became more visible to enterprise buyers because it took ownership of remote-work infrastructure.
That reach spans bandwidth expansions in secondary cities and cybersecurity advisories that shape security operations for outsourced customer support and back-office work.
Key takeaways
- Created by Republic Act 10844, signed on May 23, 2016, as a full cabinet-level agency reporting to the Philippine President.
- Mandate spans national broadband policy, cybersecurity operations, IT-BPM industry development, and digital government service delivery.
- Runs the National Broadband Program, Free Wi-Fi for All, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center.
- Sets policy that shapes bandwidth pricing, cybersecurity audit posture, and talent-pipeline programs for Philippine BPO providers.
How it works
DICT runs as a cabinet-level executive department led by a Secretary and four undersecretaries covering operations, planning, cybersecurity, and administration, with attached agencies handling telecom regulation, cybercrime response, and postal services.
Operational activity spans four programs the department has flagged in its published roadmaps: connectivity, cybersecurity, digital government, and industry development.
Each program owns budget, KPIs, and inter-agency partnerships that translate national ICT plans into on-the-ground rollout across BPO hubs like Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao.
| Pillar | What DICT owns | Why BPOs care |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity | National Broadband Program, Free Wi-Fi | Sets baseline bandwidth cost outside CBDs |
| Cybersecurity | National Cybersecurity Plan, CERT-PH | Aligns provider defenses with client audits |
| Digital government | eGov PH, PhilSys ID integration | Faster licensing and permits for new sites |
| Industry development | IT-BPM roadmap, digital jobs training | Grows talent pipeline for provider hiring |
Coordination happens through inter-agency councils that align cybersecurity rules with the Data Privacy Act of the Philippines, so BPO providers can align controls across clients.
Budget-wise, the department carries a peso-denominated appropriation set by Congress each year, and it channels those funds into flagship programs.
Flagship programs include the National Broadband Program, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center, and rural connectivity pilots that expand practical hiring footprint outside Metro Manila.
The department also convenes the private IT-BPM industry association on skills roadmaps, plus foreign investment agencies on greenfield ICT projects that anchor the country’s growing global delivery footprint.
Where private BPO operators intersect with government policy, the DICT office also serves as the industry’s channel for regulatory questions on bandwidth, licensing, and cross-border data flows tied to enterprise service agreements.
Examples
DICT programs shape day-to-day operations for named Philippine BPO operators, from cybersecurity mandates that dictate audit posture to broadband rollouts that decide which secondary cities are viable delivery sites for the next hiring wave.
Concentrix, one of the country’s largest BPO employers, aligns its security controls to CERT-PH advisories issued by DICT’s Cybersecurity Bureau so client audits from banks and payors line up cleanly across sites.
The DICT-led National Broadband Program pushed fiber backbone into Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and General Santos through 2024 — opening those cities as viable offshore outsourcing sites for firms that had previously stuck to Metro Manila and Cebu.
Accenture Philippines, whose local operation runs some of the largest global delivery centers in Southeast Asia, tracks DICT digital-jobs training grants that feed the talent acquisition funnel each year.
Teleperformance Philippines relies on DICT’s Free Wi-Fi for All rollouts around university belts in Manila and Cebu to widen the remote-work hiring pool. That reach helps it activate short-notice ramps requested by US clients each hiring cycle.
IBM Philippines watches DICT’s Digital Cities initiative, which develops next-wave secondary cities as BPO-ready destinations, when it plans facility expansions outside Metro Manila and Cebu each planning cycle.
Related terms
- Business process outsourcing: the broader Philippine industry DICT regulates when the delivery footprint sits in-country.
- Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA): sister agency granting income-tax holidays and duty-free imports to registered BPO firms.
- Board of Investments (BOI): investment promotion arm working alongside DICT on ICT sector build-out plans.
- IT-BPM industry association: private counterpart to DICT on the industry roadmap and skills programs.
- Data Privacy Act of the Philippines: privacy statute enforced alongside DICT cybersecurity rules and provider audits.
FAQ
What does DICT stand for?
DICT stands for the Department of Information and Communications Technology, a Philippine cabinet-level agency created by Republic Act 10844 in May 2016. It reports directly to the President and leads national ICT policy.
When was DICT established?
Republic Act 10844, the DICT Act, was signed into law on May 23, 2016. The department became fully operational later that year after absorbing the former Information and Communications Technology Office.
What does DICT do for the BPO industry?
DICT sets ICT policy on broadband, cybersecurity, and digital government, and it partners with the IT-BPM industry association on skills programs. Its rulings on connectivity and security shape delivery cost and audit posture for Philippine contact center operators.
How is DICT different from PEZA?
DICT owns ICT policy and infrastructure programs, while PEZA administers tax incentives for firms operating inside registered economic zones.
Looking to expand your BPO delivery? Explore OA’s outsourcing hubs to see how Philippine providers structure their operations.
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