Lawmakers push DICT to build local data centers amid P12B annual foreign storage cost

Lawmakers are urging the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to prioritize local data center development due to national security and financial risks associated with storing 90% of government data abroad.

Currently, the Philippines spends approximately P12 billion annually to store most of its government data in foreign cloud services, primarily in Singapore.

This reliance on external storage raises significant cybersecurity and national security concerns, as highlighted during House budget deliberations for the 2026 General Appropriations Bill.

The DICT has requested P2.5 billion for the construction of three major data centers as part of a larger P7.5 billion plan to build nine facilities.

Establishing these local data centers is expected to bolster national security and lead to cost savings for the government.