Binay flies to Japan for cyber security summit

Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Jejomar Binay went to Japan for an international summit on cyber security, which he believed would help the country
“enlarge the networks of experts” that the government could call on for assistance in times of need.

“I consider the Tokyo conference a welcome opportunity to broaden own familiarity with the more complex issues of cyber security, and enlarge the network of experts that our government could call on for assistance, in case of need,” Binay said in a statement released hours after his departure.

Binay flew to Tokyo Japan Monday afternoon to serve as keynote speaker at the SecureAsia 2012 Cyber Security Conference.

The two-day event, which is entitled “SecureAsia@Tokyo: Meeting the Challenges of a Dynamic Connected Future,” brings together senior representatives from the academe, government and industry to “identify solutions to the threats organizations face today and to plan for a secure connected future.”

Binay lamented the need for cybersecurity to be made an advocacy here in the Philippines, saying that other countries have been ahead for no less than 10 years.

“Ang cyber security nago-operate dito sa Pilipinas pero hindi siya advocacy at ang nago-operate nito iyong mga nasa bangko, may cyber security para tignan kung may nandaya, malalaking halaga ang maapektuhan, iyon ang cyber security. At kaya naman ang National Defense College [of the Philippines] ay nagkaroon sila ngayon ng – I think this is the first government agency na kasama na ngayon sa curriculum, at nagbibigay ng special seminar on cyber security,” Binay said in an interview with reporters at the Coconut Palace.

Binay, in a statement, also noted that  the recently concluded ASEAN regional forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, reiterated the need to intensify regional security in the use of information and communication technology.

He said the forum also recommended the development of strategies to address emerging threats in cyberspace, and the enhancement of cooperation in bringing a culture of cybersecurity.

Binay also said he expected to discuss investment opportunities with Japanese investors and high government officials during his brief stay in Tokyo.

“I am travelling with a small group of private businessmen who will be meeting with prospective Japanese investors and CEOs, whom I shall take a fresh and wider look at their prospects for more meaningful investments in the Philippines,” he said.