Philippines FOSS Act of 2006
Page Tools
The bill was scheduled for the first public hearing at the same week as FOSS @ Work - an international workshop held in Manila, Philippines that brought together advocates of FOSS and small and medium IT enterprises (SMITES) interested in learning about FOSS from 12 to 15 November 2006.
The workshop aimed to assist in the acceleration of FOSS adoption among SMITES through awareness raising and capacity building. But more importantly, a conducive policy and legal environment is required to for businesses to adopt FOSS.
Among the participants at the workshop is Congressman Teodoro A. Casiño who proposed the FOSS Act of 2006. The Act mandates the use of FOSS and open standards in government departments and educational institutions. In addition, it proposes that all infomation and communications technology (ICT) projects of the Philippine government must use FOSS, subject to certain extraordinary circumstances. For businesses, the Act requires that the government provide various types of non-fiscal incentives and support to private sector entities involved in the use, promotion and development of FOSS and open standards.
The organizer of FOSS @ Work and main supporter of the Philippines FOSS Act of 2006, the International Open Source Network (IOSN) ASEAN+3 Centre of Excellence based at the University of Philippines Manila, has been actively advocating FOSS and building FOSS capacity in the Philippines and the ASEAN+3 region.
IOSN ASEAN+3 is one of three Centres of Excellence that aims to promote FOSS, open standards and open content for sustainable human development in the Asia-Pacific region. Other centres are based in Chennai, India and Suva, Fiji. IOSN is an intiative of APDIP supported by the International Development Research Centre of Canada. FOSS @ Work is supported by InWEnt-Capacity Building International of Germany.
Related Links
FOSS Act of 2006 [PDF, 54kB] [ODT, 27kB] [HTML]
Article - Free and Open Source Software can Empower Southeast Asian Enterprises
FOSS @ Work: An International Workshop for Small and Medium IT Enterprises, Manila, Philippines, 12-15 November 2006
FOSS News, Resources and Links from the Philippines
About International Open Source Network (IOSN)
FOSS e-Primers on Education, Government Policy, Licensing, Localization and Open Standards
InWEnt-Capacity Building International of Germany
International Development Research Centre of Canada
For more information contact IOSN ASEAN+3
IOSN ASEAN+3
National Telehealth Center
University of the Philippines Manila
Taft Avenue, Manila
Philippines 1000
Tel: +63 2 525 6501
E-mail: asean3@iosn.net
Last modified 2006-12-05 03:12 PM
