The camp of the incoming President Rody Duterte confirmed the appointment of Atty. Rodolfo Salalima as Secretary of the first-ever Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) under the Duterte administration. Atty. Salalima previously worked with Globe Telecom as its Chief Legal Counsel.
The formation of the newest department that separated from the former Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) was signed into law by the outgoing President Benigno S. Aquino III. Aside from being a legal counsel of Globe Telecom, Atty. Salalima is also a well-known member of the popular San Beda Law School Class of 1971.
The San Beda Law School Class of 1971 is now considered as the most popular batch of lawyers who formed the core of the Duterte administration. Atty. Salalim joins Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Department of Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre. Both Tugade and Aguirre were classmates of the incoming President Rody Duterte during their college days at San Beda Law School.
One of the main goals of the DICT which was pushed by Sen. Ralph Recto in the Philippine Senate was to make application for permits, licenses and land titles to be easy to apply for using the internet, which would make long lines at government offices a thing of the past.
The new department will also be able to improve public access to ICT infrastructure by making free internet available in government offices and public spaces. The newly created department will also worked closely with DepEd, CHED, and TESDA in ““mainstreaming ICT in schools and manpower development to ensure that the country’s human resources are ICT-competent.”