IT and greed

THE CONTINUING saga of the national broadband network/ZTE scandal is another grim reminder of one of the biggest reasons information and communications technology still hasn’t really benefited many Filipinos: good ideas (maybe even good intentions) easily give way to greed in this country.

Of course, many government projects become mired in scandal and corruption, but somehow government IT projects seem even more susceptible. Probably because, on the one hand, everyone knows how important it is for our country to fully embrace ICT in order to remain globally competitive, but, on the other hand, much of the stuff is pretty technical that it might be easier to pull off a fast one. Then again, if one cynically assumes that the people who broker such deals are just after kickbacks, then they don’t really have to understand or care about the technical issues; it just so happens that ICT projects are “sexy” enough to be considered national priorities.

Frankly, I’m not really sure what to believe anymore. I’ve always maintained that ICT can be used to improve the lot of Filipinos, and I’ve always been optimistic about our capacity for self-improvement. Yet over the years, we’ve seen so many ICT initiatives fall by the wayside, heard so many promises about making the Philippines an ICT hub, seen so many ICT champions come and go. I still believe those of us who have been fortunate to become one of the digital haves should do our share in helping the digital have-nots. But how do we achieve these lofty goals in the face of unrelenting greed?

I’d like to believe in the existence of government officials who genuinely want to use ICT to help this country move forward, but what’s frightening is the culture of corruption that wants to drag everyone down, regardless of any good intentions. Ask IT companies what they must face when they bid on government projects. Ask IT people who have left the corporate world to work in the government sector.

On a personal note, I’m saddened by what’s happening to Jun Lozada. I can’t claim to really know the guy, but as a newbie tech reporter, I did interview him a few times when he was still with Net Curricula, a company that helped schools integrate IT into the educational system. A lofty goal, right, and those who know him better keep saying he’s an idealist at heart, and yes, I did get a glimpse of that, all those years ago, when he talked about how IT would revolutionize our schools.

I admire him for his courage in speaking out, though I also can’t help but wonder what happens to people when they become part of the system. I don’t know, really. All I know is that we’ve seen so many people who have set out to change the system, only to be devoured by it in the end, or become one of the champions of the status quo.

Still, we have to cling on to hope — that someday, maybe IT will save us all. If we allow it to.

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