Last Saturday, I gave a talk on the Davao Region ICT Cluster to a group of MBA students at the University of Mindanao. The event was a symposium on industry clustering, and government representatives from the Department of Trade & Industry - Region XI gave separate presentations on regional development strategies and creating competitive advantage.

Industry clustering is a proven strategy for economic growth. Its purpose is not only to identify a particular sector’s stregths, which will then become the developmental focus, but also to pinpoint potential and existing synergies between different sectors.

It was fortunate that the ICT Cluster was chosen as the model by which that group of graduate students would come to learn about the industry clustering program of the Davao Region. There are 8 clusters that have been identified by the DTI-XI and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA): banana, mango, coconut, seaweeds (notable because of the region’s carrageenan export), wood, mining, eco-tourism, and information & communications technology.

(N.B.: While to the rest of us it’s ‘IT’, the Philippine government has taken it upon itself to call it ‘ICT’.)

While a large percentage of educated young people today are computer literate, it is uncommon for new entrants into the "real world" to consider careers in IT. Much less, to view the technology business as a strong contributor to the economy. Hence it’s not surprising that the average Davaoeño isn’t aware that there’s actually a viable and growing IT industry here.

That’s why I thought it was fortunate that it was our industry cluster that was chosen. I hope that my presentation was able to raise the level of awareness in IT among those future businessmen. There were about a hundred of them, and if at least one of them becomes a successful part of the IT industry, then I will have been compensated a hundredfold for doing yet another speaking engagement.

Please click here to view the University of Mindanao website. I believe it’s been recently redesigned. And speaking of websites, why don’t you nominate your site in the DigitalFilipino.com Web Awards?