THE FATE of a bill creating a new department focused on information and communications technology remains uncertain after the Congress-approved measure has yet to be received by the Office of the President.

Tagged as a priority measure of Congress, the proposed law was already passed in both Congressional chambers as of December 2015. House Bill No. 6198, the measure at the House of Representatives, was passed on third and final reading in October 2015.

The Senate, for its, part adopted the measure from the House of Representatives on December 15, erasing the need for a bicameral conference meeting, a stage in the legislative process intended to reconcile any differences in the two bills that were passed by both chambers.

Local business groups including the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines have clamored for the passage of the measure in recognition of the importance of creating a focused, stand-alone government agency that will handle matters of information and communication technology.

President Benigno S. C. Aquino III have been lukewarm on passing the law in the past, who cited that Information and Communication Technology Office (ICTO) of the Department of Science and Technology is already capable of the functions envisioned for the DICT.

Slow internet speed and expensive service are among the ICT challenges in the Philippines, a problem that has remain unsolved through the years.

According to the 2015 Global Net Index of internet metrics software-maker Ookla, the Philippines ranks 176th out of 202 countries on broadband speed, averaging only 3.64 megabytes per second (mbps) — around one-seventh of the worldwide average of 23.3 mbps.

Internet service in the Philippines is also one of the most expensive in the world, averaging at $18 (P840)/mbps compared to the global average of $5 (P230)/mbps.