'We want to build awareness that this industry is not a 'flash-in-the-pan.' That it is simply not the trendy business to set up, but one that has been around for a long time'and will be around for a very long time to come,' said Mapa. CICT is looking for companies either foreign or local, still in operation today, who have been offering cyberservices from as far back as the 80s and even the 70s.

According to Mapa, although the most visible companies today are foreign locators present in the country, they are actually outnumbered by the local companies. 'In time, many of these local companies either merge or are acquired by foreign companies, thus the impetus for awarding those pioneers who may no longer exist in their original form but may have become part of a larger company.'