DICT Trains Indigenous Women Leaders on Cybersecurity
DICT Region XI brought cybersecurity and e-government app training to indigenous women leaders in Davao City, addressing the digital divide in marginalized communities.
Key Takeaway
DICT is bridging the digital divide by bringing cybersecurity training directly to indigenous women leaders in Mindanao.
Representatives from four indigenous tribes in Davao City gathered for cybersecurity awareness and e-government app training led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology Region XI on March 17. The event targeted women leaders from the Bagobo-Clata, Ubo-Manovo, Ata, and Matigsaloh communities in Barangay Malamba, Marilog District.
DICT Undersecretary for Policy and Legal Atty. Sarah Maria Q. Sison emphasized that modern indigenous women leaders embody the same protective spirit as their ancestors by safeguarding culture and communities in the digital age. She noted that digital access should be measured not only by signal strength or internet speed, but by the quality of life that connectivity and digital services bring to communities.
DICT Assistant Secretary Pinky and Region XI Regional Director Evamay C. Dela Rosa co-spearheaded the orientation as part of the Philippine Commission on Women's National Women's Month celebration. DICT has expanded its digital literacy programs across indigenous communities nationwide, with a prior train-the-trainer program in September 2024 in Barangay Baganihan, Marilog District, that reached 19 female community leaders from Matigsalug, Manobo, and Lumad tribes on Cisco Networking Academy and HP-LIFE platforms.
