Fritz & Macziol Asia (F&M Asia), a Filipino-German IT Systems Integrator based in Manila and Singapore, sees the proposed enactment of a national policy for the country’s IT sector as crucial to unleashing its enormous potential.
Citing industry-led studies, F&M Asia points out that IT spending in the Philippines may grow by 11% by end of 2014 and the IT market may reach US$6.76 billion. It is expected that most of the growth will come from hardware purchases, which will account for three-fourths of the growth, followed by services taking up one-fifth of the value. The forecast for 2014 is based on the country’s projected 6% GDP growth.
Lutz Kunack, president and managing director of F&M Asia
Lutz Kunack, president and managing director of F&M Asia, believes that in order to sustain or even enhance the growth of the Philippine IT industry, government regulators as well as industry stakeholders should seriously consider the enactment of well-crafted, long-ranging policy initiatives.
“We believe that such a policy could come in the form of a government department which would guide the formulation of a comprehensive and integrated long term program for ICT development as well as ensure that the interests and welfare of all concerned are safeguarded,” said Kunack.
F&M Asia’s president and managing director believes that such a policy initiative would be crucial to bringing the country’s IT industry together in creating an environment where more dynamic economic growth could take place.
“With an abundance of brilliant talent in IT, the Philippines is already recognized around the world and with the right support as well as direction, Philippine IT can finally emerge as a dominant engine for economic growth,” said Kunack.
Deal with DepEd
To show its optimistic outlook for the Philippine economy and its support for education, F&M Asia has inked an agreement with the Department of Education (DepEd) for pilot-testing the development, installation and free access of Internet and cloud-based student health and nutrition databases in six public schools in the city of Manila.
In a simple ceremony held at DepEd Office, Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro and F&M Asia President Lutz Kunack signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) as part of the Aquino administration’s firm resolve to bridge the gap between students’ health and nutrition status and improved learner outcomes.
Under the MOA, F&M Asia will provide a cloud-based and enabled system for efficiently collecting and reporting student health and nutrition information, at no cost to DepEd.
President and Managing Partner, Lutz Kunack, shaking hands with Department of Education’s Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro to signify deal.
Labeled as the Learner Health Appraisal System, the LHAS intends to provide increased access to data on health and nutritional status to support decision making at all levels of management, from the school to the division to the regional agency and ultimately, DepEd as national agency.
LHAS is envisioned to form part of DepEd’s effort to put a system in place for the early detection and intervention of health problems among public school pupils nationwide, especially among malnourished pupils.
Under the agreement with F&M Asia, DepEd can eventually provide the effective gathering, storage, and access of student health and nutrition data in a timely manner and for analysis and proper targeting of intervention programs.
“Reliable, up-to-date, and easily accessible information is crucial to the DepEd in ensuring that proper and adequate care is given to the country’s public school children ,” Kunack said.
