Philippines digital cities 2025 program

June 2020

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Strategies and Action Plans

The ‘Digital Cities 2025’ document is a national development initiative launched by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) of the Philippines in collaboration with the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC). It is designed to transform key cities across the country into hubs for digital services and IT-BPM (Information Technology-Business Process Management) by the year 2025.

About the Digital Cities 2025 program

  1. Origins and objectives:
    • Evolved from the Next Wave Cities™ program (initiated in 2009).
    • Rebranded in 2018 to reflect a stronger emphasis on digital innovation, startup ecosystems, and inclusive digital transformation.
    • Aims to decentralise growth from Metro Manila by promoting economic development in provincial cities.
  2. Scorecard evaluation system:
    • Cities are selected based on a 4-point scorecard:
      • Talent availability (40%)
      • Infrastructure (30%)
      • Cost-effectiveness (10%)
      • Business environment (20%)
    • Ideal cities meet strict criteria like high numbers of graduates, robust internet/power infrastructure, low operating costs, and presence of IT zones.
  3. Phase 2 Interventions:
    • Focus on Institutional Development, Talent Development, Infrastructure Improvement, and Marketing and Promotion to sustain and grow the digital ecosystem in chosen cities.
  4. Locations covered:
    • 25 cities have been profiled in the document, such as Balanga, Batangas, Cabanatuan, Dagupan, General Santos, Iligan, Iriga, and others, with detailed data on demographics, educational institutions, business environment, and infrastructure.
  5. Local governance and incentives:
    • Local governments are actively involved via ICT councils, and many offer tax incentives, business one-stop shops, and infrastructure investments to attract IT-BPM companies.
  6. Impact on countryside development:
    • The initiative is intended to generate employment outside urban centers, build regional tech capabilities, and create resilient digital economies across the Philippines.