The National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP), a non-stock, non-profit organization for Data Protection Officers (DPO), has called on the public and private sectors to work together to elevate the Data Protection profession in the Philippines.

At its 5th Annual NADPOP YearEnder: Data Privacy and Cybersecurity in 2023 conference held recently, NADPOP emphasized the need to recognize the importance of DPOs in this data-driven world. It is only imperative to provide them with resources to strengthen their skills and become even more globally competitive.

“As the world emerges from the pandemic, the incidence of data breaches and cybercrimes will continue to increase as most businesses and individuals were forced to go online,” said Sam Jacoba, founding president, NADPOP.

Nadpop to provide training for BounceBackPH MSMEs on data privacy
UnionBank, NADPOP’s forum addresses data privacy in financial sector

The theme of the conference is “Strengthening Competencies. Building Capabilities” and was attended by DPOs, chief information security officers (CISOs), and chief experience officers (CXOs).

“Our YearEnder always aims to prepare data protection professionals for the coming year. We are grateful that practitioners and thought leaders from the government shared their expertise at the event,” Jacoba said.

The YearEnder was preceded by the 1st Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Professionals’ Summit that introduced NADPOP’s eight Data Protection Enabling Capabilities which outlined a data protection maturity roadmap for organizations.

The keynote speakers from the government include National Privacy Commission chair John Henry Naga, Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Denis Villorente, Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Lord Villanueva, and Comelec Commissioner Nelson Celis. From the private sector, Citibank Regional data privacy officer Dondi Mapa and PH-CERT/CC chair and founder Lito Averia led the speakers.