DICT to fight for confidential funds

The Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will contest the House of Representatives’ decision to deny it confidential funds to boost the nation’s cybersecurity. DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy argued the move sends a ‘wrong signal to the world’ and leaves the country vulnerable to cyberattacks. The agency had asked for PHP300 million ($5.75 million) in confidential funds for 2024 and has received support from Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva and Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito.