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By Fidel Valdez Ramos, Former President Of
The Philippines
Part I
[Speech of the former president, who is chairman
of both the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation (RPDEV) and the
Boao forum for Asia (BFA), at the Asian Media Information &
Communication Center’s 17th Annual International Conference,
Manila Hotel, July 15, 2008.]
Introductory
I am delighted that this conference of
Asia-Pacific media information and communication practitioners has
chosen to discuss how media could be mobilized to help achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG for short)—that the United
Nations has set for the global community over the years 2001-2015.
I have always believed in the power of media and
communications—for better of for worse. But, however you look at
them, they have a crucial role in modern society. So, let me begin
by thanking the Asian Media Information and Communication Center (AMIC)
for inviting me to this gathering of distinguished scholars and
practitioners from all over the Asia- Pacific.
At midpoint in the MDG program, we in the
Philippines have made fair progress in reducing the incidence of
absolute poverty —but that is not good enough because far too many
households (21.5 percent) still report suffering episodes of hunger
according to the September 2007 SWS survey.
Where we in this country have fallen
short—most grievously—in our Millennium Development Goals has
been in our effort to provide universal access to basic education
and in health—related issues, particularly in reducing child
mortality and improving maternal health.
For instance, according to the National
Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB): “The worsening enrollment
rates in many provinces is now making it impossible for the
Philippines to meet the education targets stated in MDG.” Also, in
the words of U.N. Secretary—General Ban Kimoon in his message on
World Population Day last 11 July: “The rate of death for women as
they give birth remains the starkest indicator of the disparity
between rich and poor, both within and among countries. We already
know what needs to be done to meet the basic needs of women
throughout their life cycle, especially during the reproductive
years, pregnancy and childbirth.”
MDG situation in Asia-Pacific region
Media, information, and communication are a
crucial factor in the future of the Asia-Pacific—which has become
the world’s most dynamic region.
Our region, home to 61 percent of the world’s
population, is full of contrasting realities. It is the bailiwick of
the mega-rich, who wield tremendous economic, political and
intellectual power emanating from their wealth; and the habitat of
the absolutely poor, marginalized and deprived.
The facts and figures say it all. At the halfway
mark, the MDG Progress Report shows that the Asia-Pacific accounts
for 75 percent of all the world’s rural population and 63 percent
of all the urban population who do not have access to safe
sanitation facilities—a total of 1.9 billion miserable people. The
MDG report also notes that—in the past decade—income inequality
has actually increased in 14 out if the 20 Asia-Pacific countries.
Infant mortality, malnutrition among children,
the high incidence of tuberculosis, the lack of safe drinking water
in both rural and urban areas, dropout rates in basic education,
gender inequality, and discrimination against women including
reproductive health—all these deplorable conditions give us a
picture of the tremendous problems facing out region.
And while it is true that our countries have
reduced mass poverty significantly, it is also a fact that some 641
million people in the Asia-Pacific still subsist in the equivalent
of less than one US dollar a day.
Knowledge divide in the Asia-Pacific
The regional divide in income, health and
opportunity is bad enough. But equally serious is the “Knowledge
or Digital Divide” that limits the flow of information, access to
knowledge, and expansion of education.
The key challenge to Asia-Pacific leaders is how
to harness knowledge for development. New technologies have
theoretically brought knowledge within everyone’s reach. But,
ironically, innovations in science and technology still lie well
beyond ordinary people who need them most.
For instance, the UNCTAD Information Economy
Report 2007-2008 notes the vast technology gap between the rich and
poor countries, on the basis of access to computers, Internet
penetration and usage, mobile phone density, and the availability of
broadband technology.
Internet penetration in developed economies is
now ten times higher than it is in developing economies. In 2006, it
was only six times higher. Interestingly enough, Asia has the
largest share of new Internet users, but this is only because China
and India between them account for nearly 200 million new users.
Mobile phones, which UNCTAD describes as a
“digital bridge,” can reduce the connectivity divide, since they
provide increased access to new information and communications
technologies. While mobile phone subscribers in developing countries
now make up 58 percent of the world’s total, there are still many
poor countries with a penetration of less than 10 percent, while
several developed countries have a penetration of more than 100
percent.
The UNCTAD report also noted that while the use
of ICT for business processes generates income and increases labor
productivity, its wider application by developing countries is still
limited mainly due to lack of people awareness.
But, a few exceptional countries already use ICT
to accelerate their development. The South Korean government, for
example, already provides companies with Internet information on
export-import logistics and customs requirements. South Korea has
the highest rate of ICT sector employment in the Asia-Pacific with
more than 10 percent of the total workforce engaged in ICT services.
India, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka show smaller but increasing
shares in ICT employment.
Technologically marginalized sectors of the
national community have the least access—not to information and
communication technologies but, more important, to knowledge than
would enable them to attain their fullest potential as human beings.
According to ICT expert Dr. William T. Torres,
the “Knowledge Divide” consists of the gap in: (1) access to
information through the Internet and to other technologies and
services: and (2) the skill, capacity, and ability to use such
acquired information to a variety of applications to generate
benefit. “The rapid expansion of ICT has failed to bridge the gap
of knowledge and information, and that the poorest still have very
limited participation in the development process.”
(Concluded tomorrow)
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