Answer by Researcher Patricia (hummer) on Wed 25 Jul 2007 - 7:38 pm UTC:

Philippines

1)  What is the total number of operating NGOs in the country?

Between 50,000 and 100,000 would be a fair estimate.

Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium (APPC)
Philippines : Third Sector Overview: Size and Characteristics
Size of the Sector
"The most recent estimate of the size of the sector puts the figure at a
low of 249,000 to a high of 497,000 (Cariño 2002c). The highest
proportions are taken up by different varieties of people's organizations
(68% in low estimate of 169,000 and 63% in high estimate of 313,000), which
can be found in all neighborhoods, offices, factories and farms all over
the country. The interests each of these POs share vary widely - from
sharing the same social class, personal circumstances or geographic
location, to interests in sports, professions, political and economic
causes."
"The bets known organizations - NGOs - account for a smaller proportion
(14%; a low estimate of 34,000 and a high estimate of 68,000). NGOs tend to
be located in urban areas and organized by middle- to -upper class
persons.
Estimate of Size of the Nonprofit Sector and Civil Society, 2002 (in
thousands)
Particulars    Low Estimate  %  High Estimate  %
Nonstocks 	   21        8 	   75 	      15
Cooperatives 	   25       10 	   41 	       8
NGOs 	           34       14 	   68 	      14
Accredited POs    109       44 	  114 	      23
All other POs 	   60       24 	  199 	      40
Total 	          249      100 	  497        100
http://www.asianphilanthropy.org/countries/philippines/size.html

NGO-JICA Japan Desk
Characteristics of NGO in the Philippines
"Philippines is well known as a country wherein NGOs are very active. The
estimated number of NGOs in the Philippines is around 50,000 to 100,000.
These NGOs serves not only the Filipino people but also cooperates with
overseas government agencies and non-governmental organizations. Philippine
NGOs have varied scope, expertise and activities. While there are many NGOs
who are implementing projects at the grassroots level, there are also many
NGOs who have expertise in special fields."
http://www.jica-ngodesk.ph/english/Page4.htm


2)  Who are three of the leading ICT organizations serving the tech needs
of the most NGOs in their country? 

----1

Philippine Sustainable Development Network (PSDN)
http://www.psdn.org.ph

--- 2

Microsoft-TESDA Trains 500 NGOs
"More than 700 NGOs have already been trained by Microsoft Philippines and
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) through
the "Kapit-Bisig para sa Kabuhayan" program, aims to close the digital
divide to communities that benefit from the outreach projects of
non-government organizations."
http://www.microsoft.com/philippines/pressroom/0607_10.aspx
 	
Sto. Tomas lauds Microsoft's corporate citizenship program
"Sto. Tomas said the first round of the program will run until March 2006,
and this will ensure free ICT training to some 1,000 NGO trainers
nationwide, and free access to basic literacy in information technology and
the Internet to around 7,000 members of less privileged communities."
http://www.gov.ph/news/default.asp?i=13430

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
http://www.tesda.gov.ph/

--- 3

Association of Foundations (AF)
www.afonline.org


--- more links of interest:

The NGO Strengthening Assistance Mechanism (NSAM)
http://af.afonline.org/nsam/index.htm

International Open Source Network
www.iosn.net

The Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP)
www.apdip.net

NGO-JICA Japan Desk
http://www.jica-ngodesk.ph

3)  Are there any known government or country efforts or initiatives or
regulations about ICT for NGOs? Are there any laws or regulations that
would affect our ability to help provide donated technology products to
NGOs?

2006 AFact Yearbook
"Meanwhile, the Commission for Information and Communication Technology
(CICT) very recently defined its guiding principles in developing the ICT
roadmap for the Philippines for the years 2006-2010, consultation on which
is ongoing:   CICT is committed to realizing the goal of a
“people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society,
where everyone can create, access, 
utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals,
communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their
sustainable development and improving their quality of life.”  CICT
believes that the Government’s primary role in ICT development is to
provide an enabling policy, legal and regulatory environment where
necessary.  CICT is devoted to a ‘multistakeholder approach’ to ICT for
development.”  CICT sees ICT is a tool for sustainable development. Plans
and programs to use 
ICT for developmental purposes should have the following attributes: 
Accessibility: online access to services must be extended to all citizens
and must cater to the needs of different stakeholders.  Availability: ICT
services to all citizens anytime; it should be available 24 x 7 x 366, at
home, at the office, in schools, in libraries and other convenient public
locations."
3.1.8 Community E-Centers (CeCs) 
"The establishment of CeCs nationwide is undertaken to facilitate and
expedite LGUs’ and the local communities’ transformation into better
equipped, empowered organizations capable of participating proactively and
co-existing competitively with global counterparts in the digital economy.
As of April 2006, ninety (90) CeCs have been identified, forty (40) of
which have been established while fifty (50) are under establishment."
http://www.afact.org/group/application/afact/2006AFACT/pdf/(4)%20Country%20Reports/7-p113_p134-2006%20Report-Philippines.pdf

APDIP > ICT Profile > Philippines
http://www.apdip.net/projects/dig-rev/info/ph/

The World Bank ICT at-a-Glance
E-government readiness index (scale 0-1): 0.57 
http://devdata.worldbank.org/ict/phl_ict.pdf

World Bank > ICT Toolkit
Government policy on ICTs
"Government policies are encouraging the growth of the telecommunications
industry by improving access and inviting increased foreign investment in
the domestic market. Significant measures are also being taken to support
ICT education and skills development. The government has collaborated with
Cisco, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, and others to develop ICT training
centers. Today the Philippines has one of the best training infrastructures
for ICTs in Asia."
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTGENDER/EXTICTTOOLKIT/0,,contentMDK:20271982~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:542820,00.html

Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council (ITECC) 
"The Philippines recognizes the high-growth potential of ICT and
e-commerce. In the year 2000, the country passed the E-Commerce Act. This
landmark piece of legislation, based on the UNCITRAL Model Law, not only
provides the appropriate environment to encourage the growth of e-commerce
in the country but it also contains the special provision mandating all
government agencies to make their services available online."
http://www.itecc.gov.ph/

ITECC > eGovernment
http://www.itecc.gov.ph/egov.htm

ICT Development in the Philippines
Strategic Vision to ePhilippines
http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN006170.pdf

UNESCO > Communication and Information
Observatory Portal Monitoring the Development of the Information Society
towards Knowledge Societies
* Regions: Asia and Pacific: Philippines 
http://www.unesco.org/cgi-bin/webworld/portal_observatory/cgi/search.cgi?query=Philippines

The Official Website of the Republic of the Philippines > For Businesses
and NGOs
http://www.gov.ph/default.asp?mytab=3

US International Grantmaking > Philippines
To qualify for accreditation as an NGO, an NPO must be organized and
operated exclusively for one or more of the following purposes: 
 * scientific; 
 * research;
 * educational;
 * character-building;
 * youth and sports development;
 * health;
 * social welfare;
 * cultural; or
 * charitable purposes.
http://www.usig.org/countryinfo/phillipines.asp

Microsoft-TESDA Trains 500 NGOs
"Microsoft has donated more that $90,000 in cash and more than $1 million
in software for the installation of computer training laboratories in 44
TESDA centers nationwide."
http://www.microsoft.com/philippines/pressroom/0607_10.aspx


NGO data
-------------------------------------
4) What percentage of NGOs are connected to the internet?  Otherwise as a
backup question, what percentage of small businesses are connected to the
internet?

Sorry, a percentage is not available.

E-Readiness Rank  	
Philippines: rank 41 out of 180
http://www.unpan.org/egovkb/profilecountry.aspx?ID=133

5) What percentage of NGOs are computer enabled?  If this figure is not
available, a good approximation would be the number of small businesses
that are computer enabled.

TESDA > LABOR MARKET INTELLIGENCE REPORT Issue No.19
The Country's ICT Industry in Focus 
"Like many other developing countries, the Philippines still pales in
comparison to other nations in terms of personal computer (PCs) penetration
index. This measures the ratio of the number of PCs installed relative to
the country's population. Data culled from the international Data
Corporation showed that the number of PCs installed in the Philippines as
of last year reached 1.37 million which is barely two percent compared to
the total Philippines population. This is quite ironic as the Philippines'
top exports is electronics to include the microprocessor that is often
referred to as the 'brain of the PC'."
Interestingly, 69 percent of those PCs were found in private businesses
throughout the country while only 13 percent are found in households.
Government offices and educational institutions accounted for only 10 and 6
percent, respectively."
http://www.tesda.gov.ph/services1/issue19.asp 


NGO registration authority
-------------------------------------
6) Is there an online database of certified NGOs based upon the country’s
NGO registration authority? 

"The Philippine Council for NGO (PCNC) Certification is currently the sole
organization designated by the Department of Finance to serve as an
accrediting entity."
http://www.usig.org/countryinfo/phillipines.asp

Philippine Council for NGO Certification
http://www.pcnc.com.ph/NGOList.php

directory of development organizations 2007
Philippines - Philippines - Filipinas
http://www.devdir.org/files/Philippines.PDF

Philippine Foundation Center
NGO Database
http://www.pfconline.org/database/ngoquery.html


Government policies
---------------------------------------

7) Are there any regional or geopolitical affiliations with neighboring
countries? 

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
http://www.aseansec.org/

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia_Treaty_Organization

Japan International Cooperation Agency
http://www.jica.go.jp/english/countries/sea/philippines.html

South-East Asian Ministries of Education Organization (SEAMEO)
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/int-same.html

Guidelines for ASEAN Relations with Non-governmental Organizations
http://www.aseansec.org/6069.htm

1.2.1 Subic-Clark-Kaohsiung Economic Corridor 
"The Philippines and Taiwan signed an agreement in December 2005 that will
establish the Subic-Clark-Kaohsiung economic corridor, in order to
facilitate the flow of investments and goods between the two trading
partners."
http://www.afact.org/group/application/afact/2006AFACT/pdf/(4)%20Country%20Reports/7-p113_p134-2006%20Report-Philippines.pdf

8) Are there any political or cultural sensitivities that would complicate
this country serving another? 

Disputes - international:
"Philippines claims sovereignty over certain of the Spratly Islands, known
locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by China, Malaysia,
Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the
South China Sea," has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short
of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the
disputants; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the
Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic
activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant claim to
Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's
granting the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue a
sovereignty claim on his behalf; maritime delimitation negotiations
continue with Palau"
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html


Country / population data
-------------------------------------
9) Population size

CIA World Factbook
Population: 91,077,287 (July 2007 est.)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html

10) What percentage of general population is computer enabled?

Information Telecommuntion Union
Internet indicators: Hosts, Users and Number of PCs
Information Technology Report
Philippines (2005)
PCs (k): 4'521 / per hundred: 5.37
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/icteye/Indicators/Indicators.aspx#

The World Bank ICT at-a-Glance (2005)
Personal computers (per 1,000 people): 
http://devdata.worldbank.org/ict/phl_ict.pdf

Internet World Stats
"The Internet café has been the growth driver of online gaming with a
38-percent share from January to June 2004, with Metro Manila registering
the highest share with 41 percent, followed by Central Luzon with 17
percent. Since the Philippines has a low personal computer (PC) penetration
rate estimated at less than 10 percent of the total population, the
Internet café has provided access to online gaming and the Web to many
Filipinos."
http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/ph.htm

Overview of e-commerce in the Philippines
FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT 
"Personal-computer (PC) penetration remains low because of meagre
per-capita income and the high cost of technology. Industry sources
estimated the PC-penetration rate at just over 2% (1.75m PCs for a
population of 87m) at end-2005. However, cyber-cafés have proliferated in
recent years, catering to Internet users without PCs at home. The Internet
is also accessed in schools and workplaces."
http://globaltechforum.eiu.com/index.asp?layout=rich_story&doc_id=8405&title=Overview+of+e-commerce+in+the+Philippines&channelid=4&categoryid=30

11) What percentage of the general population is internet enabled?	

Internet World Stats
14,000,000 Internet users as of April/07, 16.0% penetration, per Yahoo
"In the Philippines the Internet is growing. Although there are almost 100
Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, most of them have
connections through backbones located in the United States. Internet
dial-up connection charges are approximately 2 dollars hourly (or 33
dollars for up to 60 hours monthly). This fee is approximately 80% higher
than similar charges in the United States. Since GNP per capita in the
Philippines is only 12% of that in the United States, it is clear that
access to the e-world is currently limited to the wealthier citizens and
companies. In 2000 Internet users were approximately 2,000,000. In 2003
this number had increased to 3,500,000 Internet surfers."
http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia.htm

Information Telecommuntion Union
Internet indicators: Hosts, Users and Number of PCs
Information Technology Report
Philippines (2005)
Users (000s): 4'614.8 / per hundred: 5.48
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/icteye/Indicators/Indicators.aspx#

CIA World Factbook
Internet users: 7.82 million (2005)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html

The World Bank ICT at-a-Glance (2005)
Internet users (per 1,000 people): 
http://devdata.worldbank.org/ict/phl_ict.pdf

Overview of e-commerce in the Philippines
FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT 
"E-commerce in the Philippines is expected to grow dramatically in the next
3–5 years, driven by the rapid rise in Internet use. International Data
Corp, a market-research firm, expects the number of Internet users in the
Philippines almost to double by 2007, to an estimated 20m from 11.8m at the
end of 2004. The rise is spectacular given that in 2003 the National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) estimated the number of Internet
subscribers in the Philippines at 1m, and the actual number of Internet
users at 4m—assuming that each account was shared by three or four
persons.
Factors driving up Internet use include a highly educated middle-class
population and a well-developed consumer culture. The ever-increasing
number of Filipino expatriates has also driven Internet growth since
residents of the Philippines see the Internet as an affordable way to keep
in touch with them.
Although 80% of users still access the Internet through dial-up
connections, the number of broadband subscribers has been growing sharply
as Internet-access costs drop. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co
(PLDT), a telecommunications giant, reported that the number of its
broadband Internet subscribers had soared by 54% in September 2005, to
76,000 from 49,500 a year earlier. Smart Communications, a PLDT subsidiary,
and its rival Globe Telecom had about 20,000 wireless broadband subscribers
between them in September 2005."
http://globaltechforum.eiu.com/index.asp?layout=rich_story&doc_id=8405&title=Overview+of+e-commerce+in+the+Philippines&channelid=4&categoryid=30


Language
-------------------------------------
12) What is the primary language of business / commerce in the NGO sector
in that country? What is the primary language used online?

Doing Business in the Philippines
"English is the official business language, so Americans may not find a
difficult time to strike up a conversation. Most correspondences,
contracts, and other documents are written in English. Among Filipinos,
however, it is common to hear “Taglish” (a combination of Tagalog, a
regional dialect from which the Filipino language is largely based, and
English, or shifting back and forth between the two languages) during
informal conversations. Body language and hand gestures (e.g., a raised
eyebrow, a faint smile, a scratch in the head) are also integral to how
Filipinos express themselves. Texting, or sending short messages through
mobile phones, has now become a choice medium."
http://www.buyusa.gov/philippines/en/doing_business_philippines.html

Languages of the Philippines
"Today, English is the dominant language in business, government, the legal
system, medicine, the sciences and education. Filipinos tend to want their
textbooks for subjects like calculus, physics, chemistry, biology, etc.,
written in English rather than Filipino. By way of contrast, the native
languages are often heard in colloquial settings, and in the home, with
family and friends, most people use their vernaculars. The use of English
may be thought to carry an air of formality, given its use in school,
government and various ceremonies. A large percentage of the media such as
television, newspapers, and entertainment are also in English; the major
television networks are shifting to Tagalog. English proficiency sustains a
significant call center industry for American companies. It is also a
valuable asset for overseas workers such as nurses."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Philippines

Philippines Country Commercial Guide - Business Travel
English is the official business language, so Americans may not find a
difficult time to strike up a conversation. Most correspondences,
contracts, and other documents are written in English. Among Filipinos,
however, it is common to hear “Taglish” (a combination of Tagalog, a
regional dialect from which the Filipino language is largely based, and
English, or shifting back and forth between the two languages) during
informal conversations."
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inimr-ri.nsf/fr/gr125962f.html 

"English is generally used for educational, governmental and commercial
purposes and is widely understood since it is the medium of instruction in
schools.  The Philippines are the third largest group of English speaking
people in the world, after the United States and the United Kingdom."
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/philippines-country-profile.html

Ten Years of Philippine Internet Experience
"'Language of the internet has also to be modified according to Philippine
needs, Mr. Peña said. Majority of internet content is written in English
which renders 90% of Filipinos, who consider Tagalog and other dialects as
their mother-tongue, marginalized. While English comprehension is high in
the country, the foreign language still extends technological gulf at the
expense of the rural poor.
Thailand can be a good model for the modification of internet according to
local needs', said Mr. Fajardo. Thai websites are written in the national
language and accompanied by English counterpart sites.
"'Thai language is not spoken globally, much like Filipino. It does not use
standard characters because it has its own set of alphabet. There is no
reason why Tagalog can’t be put on the net, especially if the language is
the tool to reach the masses,' Mr. Fajardo said."
http://www.itmatters.com.ph/features.php?id=032904

14) What is the character set used online?

WAZU JAPAN's Gallery of Unicode Fonts
"The Tagalog script (also known as "Baybayin" and "Alibata") was used in
the Philippines to write Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilocano, and other languages
until the mid-1700s. Philippine languages are now normally written with the
Latin alphabet."
http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_Tagalog.html 

Internet Language Use Statistics
"The below table of Internet language use statistics represents how many
millions of actual internet users are native language speakers to the
languages listed."
Non-native-English-speaking countries where many people use English to
access the Internet:
* The Philippines: 2.0 M(ITU, Dec., 2001) 
http://www.translate-to-success.com/internet-language-use.html

15) If multiple languages are used within various regions of the country,
what are the legal requirements regarding language usage in business
community?

Philippines > Languages
"More than 180 languages and dialects are spoken in the country, almost all
of them belonging to the Borneo-Philippines group of Malayo-Polynesian
language branch of the Austronesian language family.
According to the 1987 Constitution, Filipino and English are both the
official languages. Many Filipinos understand, write and speak English,
Filipino and their respective regional languages.
Filipino is the de facto standardized version of Tagalog and the nation's
official language. English, the other official language, is widely used as
a lingua franca throughout the country.
Twelve major regional languages are the auxiliary official languages of
their respective regions, each with over one million speakers: Tagalog,
Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray-Waray, Kapampangan, Bikol, Pangasinan.
Kinaray-a, Maranao, Maguindanao and Tausug."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines

Regional differences
-------------------------------------
16) Any regional differences by language?

Languages of Philippines
"Republic of the Philippines. 86,241,697. National or official languages:
Filipino, English. Literacy rate: 88% to 89%. Also includes Basque, French
(698), Hindi (2,415), Indonesian (2,580), Japanese (2,899), Korean, Sindhi
(20,000), Standard German (961), Vietnamese, Arabic. Information mainly
from L. A. Reid 1971; SIL 1954–2003. Blind population: 1,144,500. Deaf
population: 100,000 to 4,232,519 (1998). Deaf institutions: 17. The number
of languages listed for Philippines is 175. Of those, 171 are living
languages and 4 are extinct."
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=PH

Languages of Philippines . links
Philippines 
Northern Philippines
Central Philippines
Southern Philippines
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_map.asp?name=PH


17) Any regional differences by ethnicity?

CIA World Fact Book
Ethnic groups:
Tagalog           28.1%
Cebuano           13.1%
Ilocano              9%
Bisaya/Binisaya    7.6%
Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%
Bikol                6%
Waray              3.4%
other             25.3% (2000 census)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html


18) Any significant economic differences by region?

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
Regional Economic Indicators > links
 * Cordillera Autonomous Region
 * Region 1 - Ilocos Region
 * Region 2 - Cagayan Valley
 * Region 3 - Central Luzon
 * Region 4 - Southern Tagalog
 * Region 5 - Bicol Region
 * Region 6 - Western Visayas
 * Region 7 - Central Visayas
 * Region 8 - Eastern Visayas
 * Region 9 - Western Mindanao
 * Region 10 - Northern Mindanao
 * Region 11 - Southern Mindanao
 * Region 12 - Central Mindanao
 * Region 13 - Caraga
http://localweb.neda.gov.ph/~ioneda/regional.html

19) Any differences in computer or internet access by region?

Connectivity
"Eighty-one percent (81%) of schools have no access to the Internet. The
schools in Metro Manila, the Philippines’ capital, have the greatest
access to the Internet, but the incidence of connectivity decreases as one
goes northwards and southwards throughout the archipelago."
http://www2.unescobkk.org/education/ict/v2_2/info.asp?id=13244 

2006 AFact Yearbook
"Outside Metro Manila – Cebu City, Clark Special Economic Zone, Baguio
City, Davao City. Slowly catching up as preferred locations are Cagayan de
Oro, Iloilo City and Dumaguete City, Morong, Bataan."
http://www.afact.org/group/application/afact/2006AFACT/pdf/(4)%20Country%20Reports/7-p113_p134-2006%20Report-Philippines.pdf

Ten Years of Philippine Internet Experience
"This is a somber truth. A yawning digital divide was created between those
who can access the Net and those who wish they could. Metro Manila, for
one, has evolved into a microcosm of wealthy nations where internet is a
tool, a lifestyle and culture. Stepping out of the metropolis is a travel
back in time; the farther you go out, the stronger technological
backwardness seeps in.
Jay Fajardo, CEO of Airborne Access, a Wi-Fi service provider, said,
"Internet is a science fiction for those in the remote areas," Wireless
Fidelity (Wi-Fi) internet access provider Jay Fajardo said. "People there
do not know what they are missing because they have not fully experienced
the technology."
Although rural folks go online to avail of government services, engage in
business or transact in e-commerce, internet use remains minimal. Awareness
of the technology is a hindrance to achieving an acceptable internet
penetration index."
"'Even if I put an internet café in a remote baranggay in Basilan, even if
I have the funds to put internet cafés in all 40,000 barangays of the
country, they are just going to go waste,' Mr. Peña said. 'I will need to
find a reason why the residents of the community would need to go to my
internet café. They don’t have that compelling reason right now that is
why internet penetration is low.'
Games, music, electronic mail and many other contents of the internet are
not tailored to satisfy the needs of fisherfolk and farmers, people who
constitute the lion’s share of Philippine population."
http://www.itmatters.com.ph/features.php?id=032904

Labor costs
--------------------------------------------
20) What wages do technical jobs pay? What wages do operations jobs pay?

PayScale: Salary Survey Report for Country: Philippines
http://www.payscale.com/research/PH/Country=Philippines/Salary

Job Index (Philippines)
http://www.payscale.com/index/PH/Job


Miscellaneous
-------------------------------------
21) Are there any options for NGOs to obtain discounted software in the
country? Are there software donation programs?

Microsoft also provides NGOs free software and technical assistance.
"In another development, Bawal said despite the rise of open source
software, Microsoft remains confident about its position in the market.
He said 95 percent of personal computers are still running on Windows.
'There’s a segment that wants to use Microsoft (products) because of its
familiarity and wide use,' he said. 'There are also some who find value in
open source. We can’t stop them in the same way no one can stop people
from using Microsoft.'"
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2007/06/29/bus/ngos.must.earn.to.fund.projects.be.sustainable.html

PHILIPPINES FOSS PROFILE
"THE PHILIPPINES, an island nation in Southeast Asia comprising 7,107
islands (approximately 700 inhabited), has the advantage of strong
English-language skills, a proportionately huge (nearly 10 percent of its
population) diaspora community, and a well-organised free and open source
software (FOSS) community."
http://www.iosn.net/asean-3/countries/philippines/wiki

Additional LInks of Interest

ILO > National Initiatives Concerning Information and Communication
Technology - Philippines
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/hrdr/topic_n/t8_phi.htm

Information and Communication Technologies for Development (96)
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ict/rc/BrowseContent.do~selectedRegions=87248?selectedRegions=87248

Thank you,
Patricia