When the COVID-19 pandemic made the world stopped-countries implemented locked downs, companies/institutions shifted to work-from-home, the trend that was most notable and albeit changed drastically was the digitalization. It helped us continue our work remotely from our offices, increased shopping online, saved our sanity as we continue to socialize and connect with our families, loved ones, and friends thru the help of the internet.
But how is the Digital Intelligence Index of the Philippines this year 2020 when most of the other countries’ economies survived (and even relied on) digitalization to survived the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic?
According to the Digital Evolution Scorecard disclosed by Tufts University’s Fletcher School, is an interactive policy simulator, and offers an analysis of 90 economies based on a combination of 160 indicators across four key drivers: Supply Conditions (required infrastracture to develop a digital ecosystem such as but not limited to bandwidth availability), Demand Conditions (willingness of consumers to participate in digitalization), Institutional Environment (country’s support in terms of laws and policies when it comes to digitalization), and Innovation and Change (collaborations between private institutions and the state of improvements to achieve digitalization).
Taking into consideration the above factors and the country’s current state and pace of digitalization, the Philippines belong to the “Watch Out” economies category alongside Africa, other Asian countries, Latin America and Southern Europe. The last among the four distinct zones when it comes to categorizing our capability in digitalization. Our country lacked in existing digital capabilities and the push for its future development. If our government leaders would want to improve this current state, we should take into consideration looking to Break Out countries’ digitalization pace and how their economy has become resilient through this year’s pandemic. First of all, if they want to pursue to implement and improve digitalization which we all know that this year’s pandemic has truly tested, they need to address the most pressing and basic issue of all and that is the fast and reliable internet in the country. This infrastructure gap is such a big hindrance that even if some of the private institutions like banks going automated, urging their clients to go for online banking, without fast and reliable internet, consumers are still hesitant to enroll or use such facilities. Another most important matter is we need more laws that would support digitalization and at the same time implement strong security on the information that may be at risk if we run after full-on digitalization. Then, we also need the cooperation of the private sectors and know the actual demand especially from the real consumers on the digitalization of our economy.
Surely, the Philippines’ economy is truly different from other countries that have adapted well when it comes to their digital scorecard, still, the Filipinos have always been on-trend when it comes to new internet craze, modern applications, and newest technologies. Hence, the Philippine government could not go wrong in focusing and investing more in digitalization for we all know that this is truly the way to help our economy now and in the future.
The full report and methodologies on the Digital Intelligence Index can be read here: