The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) reported that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has recently certified as an urgent measure Senate Bill No. 3553, entitled "An Act Defining Cybercrime, Providing for the Prevention, Investigation and Imposition of Penaltes Therefor and for other Purposes." The certification, addressed to Senate President Juna Ponce Enrile, also noted that there is a urgent need to "ensure the security, integrity, and dependability of the country's information and communications structure by facilitating the detection, investigation and prosecution of their misuse, abuse and illegal access." CICT Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III was very pleased with the development. “It is about time we showed the world that we are taking a strong stance against cybercrime,” said Secretary Roxas-Chua. “With only three session days left on the Senate legislative calendar and many bills competing for attention of our senators, we need to urge the prioritization of this bill.”

Almost a hundred internet café owners and operators decided to organize into a single national federation to improve their quality of service and harmonize their role in the ICT industry during a summit hosted by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) last week at its office in Diliman, Quezon City.

According to CICT Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua, “Internet cafés are reaching more and more Filipinos and allowing them to access to the information superhighway. Their popularity shows the eagerness of Filipinos to use the Internet, and the CICT joins I-Café Pilipinas in looking for new ways to bridge the digital divide.”