Gladys De Ocampo, Deputy Division Chief, CIECSD, Cybersecurity Bureau Department of Information and Communications Technology, The Philippines

1. How do you use technology/policy to improve citizens’ lives? Tell us about your role or organisation.

Technology plays a very important role in the improvement of people’s lives. The Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) vision of “An innovative, safe and happy nation that thrives through and is enabled by Information and Communications Technology” is anchored on this premise. This is also embodied in the service I have rendered for the government in more than two decades.  

I started in the government service over two decades ago in telecommunications and ICT convergence, training and providing capacity building for undergraduates, engineers, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), etc.  

In 2016, the same year DICT was established into law, I transitioned from capacity building towards systems and infrastructure development. My first project management experience was for the Thin Client Project, now deployed nationwide as the infrastructure for the Tech4Ed Program of DICT. At the same time, we were developing another project — the DICT’s Government Emergency Communications Systems (DICT-GECS), which would make any type of digital communications available in any disaster-stricken areas.  

As the Assistant Project Manager for DICT-GECS, we deployed the first prototype and its proof of concept in 2019 by driving from Baguio City, southwards to Davao City, passing through other cities, Batangas City, Ormoc City, Cebu City, and Butuan City, doing information caravans and communications exercises, while experiencing the heat of the sun, a typhoon, and an earthquake. In the same year, I officially joined the Cybersecurity Bureau as an Information Technology Officer for the National Computer Emergency Team. This team works 24/7 to respond to computer emergency attacks. As such, we were that part of the government that always reported to the office during the pandemic. We were presented with critical challenges that weren’t forecasted, specifically, the whole nation working from their homes. Heightened security was needed, along with guidelines and policies to ensure online safety.  

As of today, my role involves providing technical consultations and assistance to various government agencies to establish a safe and secure infrastructure network, and the development of information systems and applications. We draft, endorse, and push forward national policies that strengthen the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan 2023-2028. 

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2. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year?  

2024 has been a fruitful year for cybersecurity. From an index score of 77 in 2020, we have garnered a 93.49 index score in the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index. This has placed us in the 53rd spot from the 61st rank in the previous GCI. This is partially due to the development in the strategies of the National Cybersecurity Plan (NCSP) 2023-2028 published early this year. The NCSP is one of the major projects I have worked on this year. I have also been a part of the team that developed Department Circulars 003, 004, 005, and 006 s. 2024 that were published in October this year to aid the implementation of the NCSP. Another project that is expected to impact the cybersecurity posture of the Philippines is the drafting of the Cybersecurity Bill which I was a part of. The bill is now at the LEDAC for approval and is expected to pass the 19th Congress. 

3. What was one unexpected learning from 2024? 

The most significant learning that I have this year is absolute acceptance. With life’s many challenges, I always move forward with the intention to seek all the possible solutions, which at times forced me to forfeit my physical, emotional, and mental health.  

As 2024 comes to an end, I’m learning to accept that some things cannot be solved just by one person, and that others must be left alone to learn on their own. Building up DICT from the transitions it has gone through, it has become my comfort zone. I must accept that to further achieve personal growth, I have to dig deep into my bravery and create a new chapter in my book. 

4. What’s a tool or technique you’re excited to explore in 2025?  

For tools, we’re mostly focused on establishing a system to assess cyber risk, which we are trying to complete within the next year. This will provide insights on each of the agencies’ needs, and how to protect their information and systems, which in turn will safeguard the services they provide to the citizens. I’m looking towards the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to further utilize its advantages as one of the techniques to help government agencies enhance public services. 

5. Everybody’s talking about AI today – give us your hot take on AI and what it means for the public sector.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in government services powers applications like robots, computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and advanced analytics to provide real advantages to public sector organizations. These advantages include automating repetitive jobs, leveraging more data and deeper insights to inform mission-critical tasks, and utilizing AI in high performance computing (HPC) to speed up research and development at national labs.  

Governments have been able to respond to public requests more quickly thanks to AI chatbots. Because GenAI can better comprehend user wants and deliver more contextual information, it may be able to make these chatbot encounters more sympathetic.  

AI also makes it easier and more affordable to run public services by analyzing data in almost real-time to influence city and transportation management policies. AI, for instance, can be used by transit agencies to track bus occupancy and facilitate dynamic fleet management according to public demand. AI can help water companies save time and money by automating pipe infrastructure inspections.  

For critical activities like emergency services or defense applications, AI can assist in informing decision-making. These implementations usually have specific cybersecurity and encryption requirements, as well as limits on size, weight, power, and cost. Having portable, private 5G networks is one approach to address these needs by enabling deployment-ready, ruggedized AI.  

The responsible use of AI is another crucial factor to help guarantee that the implementation of new technologies will respect human rights and improve communities. Incorporating fairness, transparency, and accountability principles into AI deployments from conception to implementation to mitigate the negative or harmful effects of potential bias in AI models and datasets. 

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6. What are your priorities for 2025?  

One of the organization's plans for the upcoming year is to conduct a comprehensive mid-year review of the NCSP 2023-2028 to assess the progress toward its goals and outcomes. This includes identifying areas for improvement and prioritizing actions that align with the evolving cybersecurity landscape. We need to strengthen collaborations with key stakeholders to ensure seamless integration of efforts across the people, process, and technology pillars.  

Another plan of the agency is to organize and implement proactive threat monitoring and response strategies to address potential cybersecurity threats targeting election infrastructure especially in the upcoming 2025 mid-year elections.  

These plans to implement the NCSP coincide with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 that focuses on the need for significant social and economic change to put the economy back on a high-growth trajectory, boost job creation, and hasten the fight against poverty. This growth needs to be inclusive, creating an atmosphere where all Filipinos have equal chances and giving them the tools they need to fully engage in a creative and globally competitive economy. 

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators?  

First, develop a clear long-term vision that aligns to core missions while addressing the current challenges and future needs. Second, design innovations that are sustainable and can be supported beyond the initial pilot phases. It is important to create solutions that are not only effective in the initial phases but with longevity, scalability and can deliver benefits in the years ahead. Last, but not least, focus on stakeholders’ engagement across different levels within the organizations and partnership with the private sector. Their buy-in support is crucial to innovation and implementation.

8. Who inspires you today?

My family had always been my inspiration. I strive to initiate change and make a difference in the government, looking forward to a better future for them. They have always given me strength to move forward, and to be an inspiration as well to them to adapt and make things better. I want to look into the future optimistically, while also taking actions in the present realistically, always learning from the lessons that we experienced in the past