'Teaching Technology To Youth Must Be Priority'

Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.

THE head of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry said the education sector must focus on teaching the latest technology to the youth.

Guesting at SMNI’s weekly public affairs program “Business and Politics” hosted by The Manila Times Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dante Francis “Klink” Ang 2nd, federation president Cecilio Pedro said the world is rapidly evolving because of digitalization, and Filipinos must keep in stride or risk falling behind.

TECH LITERACY A MUST Cecilio Pedro, president of the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., believes that the country has to move fast to keep up with technology. He was interviewed by ‘Business and Politics’ show host Dante Francis ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, also the chairman and chief executive officer of The Manila Times. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

“The chamber right now is focused on education as without it, our people will have a hard time moving forward because we are now into high-tech technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI),” Pedro said.

He said AI is being implemented in businesses and other areas across the globe. “We must step and move faster than any of our neighbors because we are really getting left behind,” Pedro said.

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“For education, our goal is to bring online education to the country where hopefully all the schools should be given the opportunity to work on technology,” he said.

AI “is not only available in First-World countries such as Japan, South Korea and the US. In fact, developing countries are also moving along as well. Thailand is moving fast…. Malaysia, Vietnam, even Indonesia are going ahead of us because of technology available to us,” he said.

GOING GLOBAL Dr. Cecilio K. Pedro, founder and former president and CEO of Lamoiyan Corp. and now president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), talks about how the manufacturing sector and Filipino products can compete in the global market in this interview with Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, ‘Business and Politics’ host and chairman and CEO of The Manila Times. The news and public affairs program airs at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, 2023. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

Pedro said everyone must work together in upgrading technological literacy in the country.

“Technology requires a lot of investment: Investment in education and in human intellect. But how do we develop these talents… this intelligence? If we can pull together in a productive way, we as a country will be able to move faster,” he said.

“We have to go all-in on high-tech education. And in order to do that, we do not need just resources, but people as well. We need to train more professors and students who are interested in technology. This, in turn, is the thrust of our federation,” Pedro said.

The technology can also be used to help improve agriculture, which is a problem sector, Pedro said.

“Agriculture is all about food production, and it is all about sustaining the population, and because of our huge population, it is indeed a challenge. That is why we look at technology also to assist us in this manner. We are looking at the mechanization of agriculture, high-yielding varieties of seeds and other things that we have to work on,” Pedro said.

The federation will try to invite experts from Japan, China and Israel to help in technology development.

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