The Philippines and Japan agreed on Wednesday to work for a comprehensive cooperation package to futher improve Manila's information and communications technology.

This was reached during the 90-minute bilateral talks in Makati City between Department of Information and Communications Technology Officer-In-Charge Eliseo Rio Jr. and visiting Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Seiko Noda.

In a text message to Manila Shimbun, Rio said he and Noda discussed the components of the Japan-Philippine ICT Comprehensive Cooperation Package.

These include the national broadband plan, digital television migration, ICT for disaster management, cybersecurity, broadcast content, and solving traffic congestion through intelligent transport systems.

"No there was no signing. Just a commitment that these components will be subject to further studies as to how they can be implemented, and the details can then be described in a MOA (memorandum of agreement)," Rio said when asked if there was signing of the cooperation package.

He said there is no specific timeline for the MOA signing on the components.

But Rio added, "more or less within the year" as the details will still be hammered out.

"The bilateral just gave the components to work on, including possible grants, expert consultants, etc.," Rio said.

For the migration of the Philippines to digital broadcasting from analog, the government has decided to tap Japanese technology. Celerina Monte/DMS