Korea to provide PHP 1.56B grant for PH Cybersecurity Center

The Philippines is stepping up its digital defenses with a new centralized hub designed to fight high-level cyberattacks and shield local infrastructure. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has formally sealed a partnership with the Republic of Korea to establish the country’s first National Cyber Security Center (NCSC). The implementing agency will be the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA).

The landmark initiative is backed by a USD 25.60 million (PHP 1.56B) grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), marking it as the largest project funded by the agency in the Philippines to date. The Records of Discussion for the five-year program were signed in Quezon City by DICT Secretary Henry R. Aguda and South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa, with key state representatives and Special Envoy Dennis Uy of Converge in attendance to support the bilateral initiative.

Once fully operational, the NCSC will function as the country’s central authority for tracking digital threats, deploying rapid incident response, and handling cross-government cyber crisis management. Beyond monitoring infrastructure, the multimillion-dollar project is heavily structured around capacity building, focusing on modernizing state information security networks, building a national cyber threat response system, and training a new generation of skilled local tech professionals.

DICT Chief Henry Aguda emphasized that the strategic investment focuses primarily on safeguarding everyday citizens rather than just internal tech systems. He explained that cybersecurity has shifted far past basic technical frameworks, noting that the new initiative is ultimately built to secure public trust, data privacy, and the financial transactions that Filipinos rely on daily.

Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa shared a positive outlook on the five-year rollout, expressing high confidence that the collaborative project will establish a highly resilient digital environment and bring long-term security benefits to the local economy.