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Cementing the role of digital technology in economy: Sen. Mark Villar, speaking before the roundtable discussion of Young Parliamentarians during the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) Friday, November 24, 2023, sees how digitalization is rapidly changing the economic and social landscape. However, there is a need to recognize the risks digitalization carries such as the possibility of job displacement, the widening of income inequalities, as well as the exacerbation of biases, Villar said. “Most importantly, it has the risk of compromising national security in the event that the technology falls into the wrong hands,” said Villar, vice-chairperson of the APFF Committee on Young Parliamentarians. “As such, as representatives of our government and of our people, it is upon us to formulate policies and programs that will cement the role of digital technologies in our respective economies,” Villar said. “I hope that we can find points of convergence and share our policies and programs regarding digital technology as we are, after all, interconnected by the global digital economy,” he added. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)