MANILA – The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Thursday pledged to continue helping the Philippines boost its cyberdefense and safeguard its critical information infrastructures (CIIs).
At the opening of the Critical Information Infrastructures Protection (CIIP) Summit in Parañaque City, JICA Chief Representative Sakamoto Takema said the agency intends to “comprehensively address” cybersecurity threats together with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
“Digital Transformation or DX is imperative for the world we live currently in, the digital age. And, a prosperous future cannot be assured without proper protection of digital assets,” he said.
“In other words, it is clear that the Internet is a global network that requires global protection. If one system is compromised, all systems are at risk, and everyone becomes vulnerable. These circumstances led JICA to swiftly enhance partnership with DICT.”
Even with the Philippines’ advancement from 61st in 2020 to 53rd in 2024 on the United Nations Global Cybersecurity Index, JICA recognizes that challenges, such as the ongoing threats to the country’s digital landscape, remain.
A report from global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky ranked the Philippines fourth in the global ranking of countries with the highest web threats in 2023.
The Philippines also ranked first in terms of the most attacked country by hackers in Southeast Asia.
JICA is supporting the DICT through the two-year Capacity Development for Cybersecurity project, where it dispatches Japanese experts to contribute to addressing cybersecurity threats in the country.
The project began in 2023 and has played a key role in strengthening the DICT to increase the cyberdefenses of the country’s CIIs through customized training, knowledge exchange, and enhanced sectoral coordination. (PNA)