The hub aims to make the country future-ready and help create eight million jobs nationwide by 2028.
The commitment was announced during the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DICT and the Valenzuela City Government to officially commence the development of what is envisioned as the country’s “Silicon Valley.”
Translating access into opportunities
“As an industry, we are aligned in the belief that connectivity must not end with access,” said Philippine Chamber of Telecommunication Operators (PCTO) president and Globe Group general counsel Froilan Castelo.
“Our collective goal must be to translate access into real opportunity, to enable learning outcomes for students, to foster scale and resilience among micro and small enterprises, and to allow every Filipino to participate in the digital economy with confidence and security,” he said.
The ICT hub, dubbed “Silicon Valenzuela,” will be a mixed-use digital ecosystem that includes green data centers, an ICT academy, government service hubs, digital retail spaces, co-working environments, and startup incubation areas.
Valenzuela City Mayor Weslie Gatchalian said the city will form a technical working group to develop feasibility studies and determine the total project cost.
Valenzuela’s shift: From factory town to tech city
"The ICT hub became part of my vision for Valenzuela in 2022. Since then, I dreamed of creating a Silicon Valley in Valenzuela. We created ValTech and now, we will build the ICT Academy,” Gatchalian said.
The ‘Silicon Valenzuela’ project not only aims to bridge the digital divide but also reflects a broader effort to transition the city from a traditional manufacturing base into a knowledge and innovation-driven hub in Metro Manila.
The first phase of development includes a 1.9-hectare ICT Academy campus, a collaborative effort between DICT and the city government. It will consist of six interconnected buildings, housing academic facilities, a BPO center, and an ICT museum. Construction of the first building is expected to begin next year, subject to funding availability.
The next frontier: Digital literacy
Despite the Philippines’ strong social media presence, a recent study revealed that 42 percent of the local workforce lacks digital literacy—underlining the urgency of such projects.
Castelo emphasized that addressing digital literacy must be the next frontier. “It is imperative for PCTO member-operators to invest in education initiatives, promote online safety, data privacy, and critical digital skills, especially for the youth. These are today’s essential competencies as risks increasingly accompany reach,” he said.
He added, “In all of this, one truth remains clear: meaningful progress cannot be achieved in isolation. It demands shared purpose and sustained partnership among industry players, government agencies, civil society, and the communities we serve.” —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
