UDPO hurdles government DPO training course

 

PASAY CITY — The University Data Protection Office (UDPO), represented by one of its Compliance Officers for Privacy (COP), Sharifah Aine Datu Tambuyung, was recognized recently for passing Levels 1 and 2 of Data Protection Officer Accountability, Compliance, and Ethics (DPO ACE) Program of the National Privacy Commission (NPC). The DPO ACE program is a series of intensive lectures, workshops, and both practical and written examinations facilitated by the NPC for the purpose of initiating a “skills benchmark” for privacy professionals in the Philippines. The NPC is the government agency mandated to implement the provisions of the country’s data protection law.

According to the Commission, DPO ACE is meant to address the increasing demand for DPOs and COPs in the country. As of writing, the agency notes that the Philippines already has 22,000 registered DPOs hailing from both the public and private sectors. The figure is roughly 29% of the 75,000 DPOs supposedly needed right now around the globe due to various privacy and data protection regulations. Moving forward, the Commission expects to make DPO ACE available around the country to accommodate government agencies and private entities based in the other regions.

To complete DPO ACE, participants are required to attend a 3-day course and clear two exams. The pilot program was held on December 12-14 of last year, while the recognition rites took place last January 24 (Level 1) and March 28 (Level 2).

Apart from the UDPO, the pilot batch included the data protection officers from various government agencies and private companies like the De La Salle University, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Smart Communications Inc., ABS-CBN, San Miguel Corporation, and IBM Philippines.

The UDPO is the unit within the Ateneo de Manila University tasked with ensuring the school’s compliance with the DPA and other applicable data privacy laws. The UDPO is headed by Atty. Jamael Jacob who is also the University’s Data Protection Officer.

For more information about the UDPO, visit ateneo.edu/udpo.