A NEW DATA center that will facilitate public transactions through e-governance systems is set to rise in North Luzon to serve as a symbol of 鈥渋nnovative, efficient and exceptional public service,鈥 the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) revealed on Thursday.

鈥淲ith this data center, we shall drive digital transformation in the region and the country, ensuring that every Filipino can seize the opportunities of the digital economy,鈥 said DICT Secretary Ivan John E. Uy.

Part of the National Government Data Center Project, the data center will be the product of a partnership forged by the DICT with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), and the John Hay Management Corp. (JHMC) so a portion of it will be dedicated for the use of the two agencies. Mr. Uy stressed that such partnerships with various government agencies promote the 鈥渆fficient delivery of public services and the interoperability of government systems and applications.鈥

鈥淎s the country鈥檚 digital economy and the demand for cloud-based services continue to grow exponentially, the Philippines needs to strengthen its digital infrastructure and build up its data center capacity,鈥 BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang said of the partnership with the DICT.

Earlier, Mr. Uy projected a fivefold increase in the capacity of data centers in the country to around 300 megawatts (MW) by the year 2025. 鈥 Justine Irish D. Tabile