The Computer Professionals' Union in Advancing ICT for the People

In 2001, a group of information communications technology (ICT) practitioners established the Computer Professionals' Union (CPU) of the Philippines in response to the expressed need of grassroots-oriented organisations to understand the state of ICT that was becoming a very pronounced sector in the Philippines' national development landscape. The technicalities of the state of the ICT industry and its accompanying issues had to be articulated in the context of people's development.

Eventually, the CPU would extend its reach to do advocacy and organising work amongst computer professionals and enthusiasts, i.e., programmers, system developers, system analysts, ICT project managers, university students, including teachers and researchers from the academe.

In 2008, CPU was officially registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Philippines as a non-stock, not-for-profit organisation.

Principles and Objectives
The CPU has a core of active voluntary members who have committed themselves to a vision of a Philippines that is free from foreign control and domination, where its people enjoy democratic and civil rights, and where information and communications technology can assist and serve the real development needs of the country's people and economy. Circumscribed in this institutional vision, the CPU states as its mission, to work for an information and communications technology that will benefit the Filipino people through the enunciation of a pro-people critical standpoint on the state of ICT in the country and its impact on the Filipino people in general and on ICT professionals in particular. The CPU is, therefore, dedicated to further advancing the specific demands of Filipino ICT professionals in the workplace.

CPU is guided by the following principles:

  • Freedom of Information. CPU believes that information in all forms is the collective knowledge and experience of humankind. Therefore, no one can own information. Anyone can use and develop it for the benefit of mankind and development of society.
  • Privacy of Information. Computers and telecommunications networks have brought consumers many conveniences. But, advanced technologies pose serious threats to privacy. CPU believes that information about us, our families, where we live, where we work, people we call, sites we surf, stores we shop in, etc., should be kept private.
  • Free and Open Source Philosophy. CPU fully supports the free and open source philosopy and communities.
  • Right to organize. CPU members believe that as workers, they have the right to form associations that will collectively fight for their rights and welfare.
  • Use of Appropriate Technology. CPU believes that technology alone cannot solve political and social problems. It aims to dispel myths about the infallibility of technological systems and neutrality of science and technology.

Moreover, the CPU conveys the following objectives:

  • Advocate, promote and advance "ICT for the People", as CPU expounds on issues concerning ICT and its effects on the Filipino people;
  • Raise the awareness and consciousness of ICT professionals on the situation of the ICT industry in the Philippines;
  • Organise ICT professionals and mobilise the sector on issues affecting their welfare and the Filipino nation as a whole, and to respond to the specific ICT needs of basic and allied sectors of Philippine society;
  • Promote the use of free open source software (FOSS) and approriate technologies, and
  • Establish linkages and alliances with other social sectors, local and international organisations, institutions and individuals sharing a common goal of advancing "ICT for the people".

In the furtherance of these objectives, CPU currently works on the following projects/activities:

  • Project for People's Web. This is an undertaking specifically designed to provide assistance for the ICT and related needs of people's organisations and grassroots-oriented NGOs, and other like-minded voluntary organisations in civil society . The primary focus is to provide technical expertise in enabling a web presence for these organisations.
  • Digital Resources Bureau. This is a repository project to recover old but serviceable computer hardware and peripherals so as to make available functional computers to organisations that cannot afford to avail of new computer hardware. Free open source software are used on these machines. This project also handles the GNU/linux terminal server implementation for organisations.
  • Software Application Development. On a case-to-case basis, database applications and appropriate software solutions are worked out and made available for the different organisations that CPU relates with. Practicable solutions are developed and eventually released in the GNU/GPL License for use of other voluntary and non-stock, not-for-profit non-government organisations.
  • Free Open Source Software (FOSS) Introductory Seminars and Training. This is a proactive project which aims to introduce and propagate the spirit of the FOSS community to college and university students. Seminars are conducted in universities, and in computer and technical schools.
  • CPU continues to be active in propagating “ICT for the People” in the media, and is first in urging the Philippine Congress to officially support FOSS in government's ICT needs to save on much-needed public revenue that is spent to purchase commercial software, and which can be better used for food production and poverty alleviation programmes.

CPU Activities and Engagements

  • CPU is a convenor of TXTPower, “an organization of cellphone users that aims to empower Filipinos both as consumers and as citizens.” It has provided technical expertise to the group on issues related to mobile technologies.
  • CPU is the Lead organizer of Software Freedom Day (SFD) since 2004 in the Philippines. SFD is a global celebration of free and open source software (FOSS). It aims to “educate the worldwide public about of the benefits of using high quality FOSS in education, in government, at home, and in business -- in short, everywhere!” SFD 2008 in the Philippines was participated by 13 organizations and supported by 6 local companies. About 800 students, advocates, geeks, and enthusiasts joined the event. SFD is also a showcase of how the world can exist without patents and monopolistic copyrights.
  • In 2005, CPU released the Internet Governance(IG) and the World Summit on Information Society-WSIS paper, explaining the impact of IG and WSIS to the grassroots.
  • In 2006, CPU provided the Philippine Congress a rationale on supporting Free and Open Source preference in government ICT needs. The document titled “More than competition of monopolies; why should the government support FOSS/Malayang software?” tackled patents and copyrights and how the government should protect public data. CPU has coordinated with a Partylist group in the Philippine Congress in crafting House Bill No. 1716, AN ACT PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF FREE/OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE (FOSS) IN THE PHILIPPINES, AMENDING RA 8293 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES”, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. A primer for this Bill is posted at here.
  • In 2007, CPU institutionalized Project People's Web to support NGOs in establishing their web presence. This resulted to about 24 organizations successfully launching their web portals since then.
  • CPU has developed K-Rights Monitor, a human rights documentation system used by the largest human rights advocates network in the country. CPU continues to support development of similar tools of other organisations. It has provided consultations to Human Rights Documentation System, International (HURIDOCS) in their development of a similar tool called OpenEvSys.
  • The controversial National Broadband Network Project of the current Arroyo Administration was studied by CPU in 2007. National Brodband Network: Boon or Bane served as a reference for the media and concerned citizens critical on the said project.
  • In 2008, CPU has introduced copyrights, patents, and the free and open source movement to more than 2,000 students of different State Universities in the country through its FOSS@Schools project.
  • In October 2008, CPU has introduced the Computing Tools for People's Organizations, a quarterly lecture series on technology for grassroots organizations. The next component of the lecture series is on Creative Commons: Copy/Paste for Researchers.
  • CPU is an advisory group member of Information Activism Camp – IAC in India. Infoactivism Camp aims to help organisations utilise information in their advocacies. Tactical Technology Collective is organising the training camp this February 2009.