QUEZON CITY -- The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), represented by Acting Secretary Emmanuel Rey R. Caintic, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on April 1, 2022, at Okada Manila Hotel.

“With the 2022 local and national elections fast approaching, the Department commits to deploy whatever means we have to ensure a safe and secure election process for our fellow Filipinos,” DICT Chief Caintic said during the event.

The DICT is set to provide cloud hosting of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)’s online services. This includes the Registration Status Verifier, Precinct Finder, Online Voter Certification Application, and the National and Local Election Results Website. These services will help facilitate the upcoming May 2022 elections while helping decrease the number of voters who fail to cast their votes due to difficulty in finding their respective voting precincts.

The DICT is also working to conduct the Vulnerable Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) on COMELEC’s online services. This will ensure the security of the infrastructure that will be used for the cloud hosting. Additionally, the DICT is offering assistance to the COMELEC’s Automated Election System (AES), along with the institution of cybersecurity measures.

Through cloud hosting and cybersecurity measures, voters will have an easy and safe experience while ensuring the honesty of the election process and protecting voter rights. This will also ensure the transparency of results in the National and Local Elections. “We hope that with our continued collaboration, we can maximize ICT-enabled solutions that will change the Filipino voting experience for the better,” Secretary Caintic added. (DICT)