Personnel from the Information & Communications Technology Office (ICTO) actively participated in the 3rd Digital Transformation Forum held yesterday, March 27, 2025, at the Teatro Ilocandia, Mariano Marcos State University. The forum, themed, “Navigating the Next Frontier,” converged stakeholders from multiple agencies in the region to discuss the changing dynamics of digital transformation.
Attending on behalf of the ICTO were Dr. Shareen Navarro, Dr. Richard Arruejo, Mr. Christopher Fontejon, Mr. Jonathan Riberal, and Mr. Franklin Riego. Their attendance underscores the ICTO’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and ensuring the university remains digitally competitive.
The forum served as a dynamic platform for fostering collaboration, sharing valuable insights, and inspiring actionable strategies aimed at building a digitally empowered future for all participating agencies. Topics of conversation included modern technology, innovative strategies, and cultural shifts required to move successfully forward through this era of digital transition.
Plenary sessions and panel discussion highlights transpired focusing on adopting a systemic digital transformation. All the speakers underscored the point that “the heart of the digital transformation is not just about the technology itself, but about human capital, adoption of the new technologies, and mindset of everyone to adopt the technologies.” This people-centric approach with an emphasis on comprehensive training and support to facilitate a broad take-up of new digital technologies.
In addition to this, the forum discussed the essential elements required for effective digital implementation. It was stressed that “good information systems cannot be implemented well if there is no good ICT infrastructure and support from everyone.” This mere statement indicates the vital importance of a solid and trustworthy ICT infrastructure, along with strong institutional support, in facilitating effective digital transformation processes.
The ICTO staff’s engagement in this major conference is a testament to the university’s forward-looking approach to adopting digital innovations. The learning and knowledge gained from the conference will promote the ICTO’s ongoing initiative to spearhead the technological prowess of the university and deliver a digitally empowered culture to the UNP community.
Article by Shareen Navarro.
