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Philippines : PH wins ITU Council seat in Asia [TendersInfo (India)](TendersInfo (India) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The Philippines was elected to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council for a second four-year term as one of 13 seats representing member-states in Asia and Australia at the ITU s 19th Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-14) held Monday, 22 October 2014 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) in South Korea. The Philippines received 115 out of 167 valid votes for eighth place, in a tie with Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. In all, 13 countries were elected out of 19 vying for 13 seats in Region E, which groups a total of 49 countries. We recommit ourselves to our work in the evolving ITU, in particular, in pushing for our agenda to advance the use of information technology in disaster risk-reduction and in bridging the digital divide, said delegation head, Executive Director of the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICT Office) Louis Napoleon Casambre after the victory. Information and communication technology (ICT) is undeniably one of the most relevant technologies in the world today in building economies and creating opportunities that impact lives by connecting nations, industries, and families, said Casambre, citing the role of ICT in rescue and rehabilitation in areas affected by the Bohol quake and Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Delegation co-head Philippine Ambassador to Korea Raul S. Hernandez cast the Philippines s vote at the Voting Station 5 during the 10th Plenary Session on the sixth day of the quadrennial conference. The winners were announced at 1:00 pm, following a 2-hour delay in the voting count due to a breakdown in one of the two vote-counting machines. Apart from Asia and Australasia, 35 other countries from the four other regions were elected to serve on the ITU Council for the 2015-2018 term at the same plenary session, together with 12 members of the Radio Regulations Board. A delegation representing the government and private sectors in the Philippine information and communication industry, led by the ICT Office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), attended the PP-14, which is being held until November 7, 2014. Private sector representatives which attended the conference include Globe Telecom, PLDT, Institute of Electronic Engineers of the Philippines (IECEP), and cable companies. The Philippines has been an active member of the ITU since 1912. The ITU is an international organization within the United Nations System where governments and the private sector coordinate operations of international IT networks and services. (c) 2014 Euclid Infotech Pvt. Ltd. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |