First Internet Cafe National Summit Is A Big Success

I-Café Pilipinas in cooperation with the Commission on ICT (CICT) headed by its Chairman, Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III has successfully concluded the First Internet Café National Summit last October 21, 2009 at the Audio Visual Room in the Ground Floor of CICT Building, C. P. Garcia Ave. Diliman, Quezon City. With this year’s theme, “Towards A Better Internet Café Industry In The Next Decade", the summit brought together internet café owners, operators and representatives from the different internet café associations around the country from as far as Ilocos Sur in the north to Tagum City, Davao del Norte in the south.

“It is high time that the internet café industry finds its place in the vast ICT infrastructure in the country.  The Philippines with a low computer penetration rate, the internet cafes serves as a vital link of the community to the cyber world.  The CICT supports the efforts of I-Café Pilipinas in improving the quality of service of the internet cafes and in addressing the digital divide” said by Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III in his keynote address that inspired the participants on the role of the internet café industry plays in the ICT infrastructure of the Philippines. “The Commission commends the efforts of I-Café Pilipinas as it strives to organize a single national federation that would serve as the unified voice of the internet café industry” he added.

This year’s theme ““Towards A Better Internet Café Industry In The Next Decade” was further subdivided into four sub themes that was thoroughly discussed during the summit:

1. The Internet Café as Community Digital Business Centers - as part of its initial program in making the internet cafes as a tool to develop eCommerce in the Philippines and getting government services closer to the people through the internet, I-Café Pilipinas, provided the participants with information on the use of the eSerbisyo and eBayad projects of the CICT. Smart Communications also shared with the participants their Smart Contact Channels in which Smart subscribers would be able to get the information they need regarding their subscription online.
2. The Internet Café as Centers of Entertainment and Communication  - the fast internet connection provided by telephone companies like Bayan Business has transformed the internet cafes from merely a gaming center to a center that would provide total entertainment and communication.  This is further exemplified with the presentation of Cubinet Interactive that promises to deliver a new level of gaming to the public with the introduction of web based games in the Philippines what uses only the web browser instead of the usual and tedious task of installing clients in every computer station.  I-Café Pilipinas is now in the process of exploring collaborative projects with the Game Developers Association of the Philippines in supporting the development and marketing of computer games that are made in the Philippines.
3. The Internet Café as Centers for Education and Collaboration – internet cafes has long been at odds with school administrators and teachers as to its role in educating the children and the use of ICT in education.  I-Café Pilipinas fully supports the initiative of the CICT in the creation of eSkwela Centers around the country through the internet cafes.  The eSkwela project of the DepEd-BALS in partnership with CICT is such a novel learning modality that makes good use of technology in education. As such, it earned a well deserved UNESCO Award. I-Café Pilipinas is also exploring ways in which to help the Community eCenter project of the National Computer Center and the CICT to further development of the CeC’s around the country.
4. The Internet Café Owners Quest for Continuous Knowledge – the internet cafes is still considered to be a backyard industry in the Philippines thus it lacks the necessary support and training that it needs to improve their conditions.  Intel Technology Philippines hopes to address these issues by offering a complete internet café business package through their Intel Net Center program which serves as the convergence of Intel Technologies for the internet café owners.  The business package includes hardware requirements, marketing materials, technical support and basic internet café operations for those who would like to set up a new internet café or further expand their business in their respective places. Further tie ups is in the development stage with the UP Information Technology Training Center for the ICT training of the internet café owners and operators to further improve their services.

This year’s national summit would not have been possible without the help of the following:

1. The Commission on Information and Communication Technology – most especially for Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, Commissioner Monchito Ibrahim, Commissioner Cyber Services Group and Director Trish Abejo, Chief of Staff – Office of the CICT Commissioner  for providing us the necessary support and for allowing us to use their Audio Visual Room as the venue of the summit.
2. Our event partners – Intel Technology Philippines, gold event partner. Bayan Business, Smart Communications and Cubinet Interactive, event partners. RS Developers, exhibitor.
3. Special thanks to Mr. Mitch Padua, Media Products, Yahoo South East Asia and Mr. Jose C. Luzon, OIC, Events and Marketing, UP Information Technology Training Center for providing the participants give a ways and raffle prizes during the event.
4. The support of the different internet café associations who came to be with us during the summit – Valenzuela Internet Café Association (VICA), Manila Internet Café  Owners Association (MICOA), Los Banos Computer Owners and Operators League (LBCOOL), Internet Café Association of Tagum (ICAT), Internet Café Association of Imus (ICAII), San Juan City Internet Café Association, Internet Café Association of Zambales, Internet Café Association of Dasmarinas and members of the Unified Lanshop Owners of the Philippines (ULOP.NET).
5. The different independent internet café owners and operators from the different parts of the country from Ilocos Sur, Central Luzon, Batangas, Bicol region and Palawan who came to be with us in this great event.