Ivan John Uy, Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), stated that the Department will implement e-Governance initiatives to promote interoperability and facilitate ease of doing business in the country; and that the Department has undertaken the enormous task of interconnecting government systems.
Secretary Ivan added that citizens engage in numerous online transactions but they tend to avoid conducting business with the government because they are frequently required to wait in queue multiple times for government dealings.
Hence, agencies are confronted with the difficult task of unifying these disparate and disconnected systems of governance. The only constant among these systems is the absence of any shared components.
Each organisation has selected its own standards, data formats, and service providers. Consequently, the objective is to identify a solution that can effectively integrate these disparate elements.
The ICT Chief also discussed the Department’s progress in connectivity, cybersecurity, and digital skills development. Through its flagship Broadband ng Masa Programme, the Department is accelerating the implementation of necessary digital infrastructure and wireless broadband technologies, particularly for those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
DICT tends to bring connectivity to all mountainous regions and island groups. The telcos have been hesitant to make these investments primarily due to economic concerns; therefore, the government must intervene and provide first-mover connectivity in these areas.
When they initially provide this connectivity, it is hoped that the economies in these regions will begin to improve, and the population will begin to develop better applications or use cases for this connectivity.
E-governance has been getting a lot of attention in the Philippines for the last few years as the government tries to use technology to improve public service delivery, simplify administrative processes, and improve governance.
The country is moving towards e-governance because more and more of its people use the internet and other digital tools, and because people see the benefits of digital transformation.
One of the most important parts of e-governance in the country is getting people involved online. The government has set up several online platforms and portals that allow people to get information, share their concerns, and give feedback on government policies and services. This helps make the decision-making process more open, accountable, and inclusive, and it gives people a chance to directly shape public policies.
Also, the streamlining of government services has made them easier to use and cut down on unnecessary paperwork. Citizens can now apply for papers like passports, driver’s licences, and birth certificates online through portals. This saves them time and effort. This has also led to a big drop in corruption and bribes since people don’t have to talk to government officials as much when they do business online.
E-governance has also made it easier for government departments to share and combine data, which has led to better service delivery. By using standard data formats and putting in place interoperable systems, information can be quickly accessed and shared between departments.
This cuts down on duplicate work and makes it easier to work together. This has made it easier for the government to do its work and cut down on the time it takes to do things.
Even though success has been made, there are still challenges with how e-governance is being used in the Philippines. Lack of Internet access in remote places, especially in rural provinces, makes it hard to get to and take part in things. There is also a need to improve the digital literacy of the population, making sure that people have the skills they need to use online platforms and e-government services successfully.
