The Philippine Statistic Authority in 2023 reported that only 51.6% or 14.8 million households have internet connectivity. Among 17 regions in the Philippines, it was also reported that Zamboanga Peninsula region had the lowest proportion of households with internet access at 28.5 percent. Accordingly, the municipality of Liloy in the Zamboanga del Norte, is among the municipalities in the region that have seen the impact that digital transformative technologies have provided in the area. The Covid-19 pandemic reinforced the need for countryside areas to adapt to the growing need for e-commerce and digital technologies that empower citizens and the community.

To address this issue, the municipality of Liloy in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) established the first municipal-based Level 2 Digital Transformation Center in the country. The Liloy DTC (formerly Liloy Digital Hub Tech4Ed Center) was recognized as one of the Outstanding Tech4Ed Centers in 2021 for providing a venue to 120 online teachers each earning around P15,000.00 – P50,000.00 ($290-$970) per month, generating a total of P2 Million to the local economy per year. The DTC also has been the go-to hub for free training on digital literacy, cybersecurity, data privacy and various skills training to its constituents.

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• Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines

• Youth
• Older persons
• Women
• Indigenous and nomadic peoples
• People with disabilities
• The unemployed
• The poor
• Migrants
• Refugees and internally displaced people
• Remote and rural communities

The Tech4Ed-Digital Transformation Center (DTC) Program is a national digital inclusion initiative of the DICT in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and CISCO, with over 4,000 centers established nationwide with the objective of strengthening digital capacities of citizens, particularly in the underserved communities.

The establishment of the Liloy DTC was through the efforts of municipal mayor to seek funding from legislators in the Senate, to empower countryside through ICT infrastructure and to raise awareness of existing programs and policies that facilitate digital inclusion, access to digital tools, and foster a digital workforce, in line with E-Commerce Philippines Roadmap.

Thus, the replicability of the DTC is effectively achieved through strengthened partnerships with local and national stakeholders, national and international agencies to help empower even the remote communities so that there can be more access to information and bigger opportunities to participate in the digital economy. Also, targeted approaches such as providing funds for infrastructure development and training to the community specifically targeting the marginalized sectors (women, children, senior citizens, persons with disability, out-of-school youth, etc.) Likewise, complementary projects such as the provision of free internet access in these rural communities will also bolster access to vital ICT programs.

The Liloy DTC is seeks to: (1) deliver basic digital skills training to enhance digital literacy and foster uptake of digital tools among those at the bottom of the social pyramid, (2) deliver intermediate digital skills training to provide users with job-ready skills, improve workplace efficiency and enhance chances of employability, (3) improve the capacity of policymakers to design and implement digital skills programs, (4) conduct train-the-trainer programs on digital skills to ensure scalability and self-sustainability in digital skills capacity development, and (4) train SMEs in the field of digital technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship.

These goals are aligned with ITU’s objective that DTCs become part of a global network of institutions to accelerate the uptake of digital technologies among citizens and boost the capacity of young entrepreneurs and SMEs to succeed in the digital economy. Thus, DICT has spearheaded in institutionalizing the need for countryside development through various ICT infrastructures and technologies.

The DTC Liloy has opened myriads of opportunities to the public not only in Liloy but also to neighboring municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte. With the advent of ICT-enabled services it has empowered the community, especially the marginalized sectors. Through this project, Liloy has reported an increase in the number of citizens who use resources provided to equip themselves with the necessary ICT skills in finding employment online. Through these initiatives, the LGU has fostered tech-savvy individuals that leverage ICT in improving their quality of life, regardless of gender, educational background, and status.