The provincial government  has engaged for the first time in an information communication technology congress designed to raise the level of awareness of Pangasinenses of the wide-ranging and numerous benefits of going online.

During the opening program of the Pangasinan Digital ICT Congress last November 21 at the elegant Sison Auditorium here, Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan, who represented Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., said that at present the province has embarked on common and bold mission to embrace digitization as the way of life of Pangasinenses.

Thus, the provincial government is already in the process of digitizing the real property tax administration with a common RPTA computer system now being installed in all municipalities.

According to Baraan, the Governor has set his sights towards digital technology which is the reason why the present administration have included other projects like online medical consultation to better improve hospital management, financial management requiring legislative tracking, online legal services, online emergency response, and online disaster management.

The provincial government will also invest in technology packages that are cost-effective and high impact that will serve beneficial for Pangasinenses such as the provision of wi-fi (wireless fidelity) for all municipalities. “Siguro kapag wifi na ang bayan-bayan at munisipyo sa Pangasinan, maraming matutuwa kina Mayor at kapitan dahil marami na ang makakapag-internet na mga kababayan,” said the Governor in his speech read by the provincial administrator.

It will be recalled that the Governor has made his presence available in social networking sites such as facebook and twitter so that Pangasinenses here and abroad can easily interact with him.

“In this age of globalization, if we are not online, we don’t exist,” the governor said.

The latest survey reveals that there are more or less 600,000 Pangasinenses on the internet.

The first Pangasinan ICT congress, held from November 21 to November 26 at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center, was participated in by mostly students, some professionals and provincial employees.

Speakers include the following: Carlo Ople, Social Media Manager of TV 5; JV Rufino, Head of Inquirer Digital; Coy Caballes, Social Media Manager of Globe Telecom; Col. Gilbert Sosa, CIDG Chief; Vince Golangco, Video Online Publisher; Leo Quirubin, CEO of Media Gateway, among others.

The event was sponsored by Globe Business, ARCUS IT and AVIRA. (PIO/Ruby R. Bernardino)