JICA reaffirms its support to the Philippines’ Cybersecurity Efforts at the CIIP Summit

At the opening of the Critical Information Infrastructures Protection (CIIP) Summit held at Sequoia Hotel Manila Bay, JICA reaffirms its commitment to advancing the cybersecurity initiatives of the Philippines in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

In his opening remarks, JICA Chief Representative SAKAMOTO Takema emphasized JICA’s unwavering support for DICT’s cybersecurity agenda, particularly in strengthening the country’s defenses against emerging cyber threats. JICA’s partnership with DICT and USAID reflects a shared vision of safeguarding Critical Information Infrastructures (CIIs) and enhancing national security with the spirit of Bayanihan.

Even with the Philippines’ advancement from 61st in 2020 to 53rd in 2024 at United Nations Global Cybersecurity Index, challenges such as the ongoing threats to the country’s digital landscape remain. A report from global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky ranked the Philippines 4th in the global ranking of countries with the highest web threats in 2023. The Philippines also ranked 1^st in terms of the most attacked country by hackers in Southeast Asia region.

This underscores the significance of the ongoing cybersecurity cooperation between JICA and DICT, “Capacity Development for Cybersecurity” project, where JICA is dispatching Japanese experts to contribute to addressing the cybersecurity threats. This is in line with the country’s National Cybersecurity Plan 2023-2028.

The said JICA project began in 2023 and has played a key role in strengthening DICT to increase the cyber defenses of the country’s CIIs. This collaboration includes customized trainings, knowledge exchange, and enhanced sectoral coordination. Moreover, noting the importance of public awareness, our JICA experts are also engaged in various activities necessary for awareness raising.

The CIIP Summit also highlighted the trilateral cooperation following the Philippines-Japan-US Trilateral Summit meeting held last April in Washington, D.C. Joint efforts such as the summit continue to be pivotal in fortifying the region’s cybersecurity framework.

Prominent Japanese cybersecurity experts, Mr. SASAKI Hiroshi and Mr. NAKAYAMA Kenta, are set to share insights on Public-Private Partnerships and workforce development, further reinforcing the summit’s theme of collaboration.

This event marks another critical step toward creating a more secure digital environment through the strength of trilateral cooperation.