IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Eliseo Rio Jr. on Tuesday said Filipinos will feel a big improvement in telecommunications (telco) services nationwide come 2020.

“Our program for 2020 is that before the end of next year, our people will feel a very big improvement in our telecommunications services nationwide,” Rio said during ‘The Presser’ of the Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO) attended by key clusters of the executive branch at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) building in Quezon City.

This was according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which urged Manila residents of voting age to flock to Rizal Park today and register. The poll body is currently conducting a nationwide list-up campaign dubbed "Walkah-Walkah: Step Juan Tungo sa Mulat na Botante."

Starting a business to require only 6 steps, 8 days

Twelve government agencies have committed to implement reforms meant to help improve the ease of doing business in the Philippines as the country seeks to boost not only its rankings in global competitiveness reports, but also the capacity of the local micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The reforms would primarily address two main problem areas—starting a business and paying taxes—as identified in many global competitiveness reports such as the the Ease of Doing Business Report by the World Bank-International Finance Corp., according to Guillermo M. Luz, co-chair for the private sector of the National Competitivenes Council (NCC).

More than 150,000 voters in the Ilocos Region may not be able to vote next year unless they undergo biometric registration in October, poll officials said yesterday.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) assistant regional director Reddy Balarbar said among the provinces with a large number of voters without biometric data were Pangasinan with 95,742; La Union, 20,922; Ilocos Sur, 13,167, and Ilocos Norte, 26,363.

Balarbar said the number is based on data submitted during the election registration board hearing in July, which result was released in August.

A satellite-based e-health platform was installed in the rural hospital of German Doctors for Developing Countries in Buda, Marilog District, Davao City.

Launched last Friday in a press briefing at the Seda-Abreeza Hotel, the e-health solution dubbed as Satmed was made possible by SES, a Luxembourg-based satellite operator in partnership with the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

But this time, the NBN will have a new name--the Government Broadband Network (GBN), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Mario Montejo told Sun.Star late last month.

Montejo also confirmed that the Aquino administration has expressed interest in connecting government offices through high-speed broadband Internet.

Ffee public Wi-Fi has been installed in 50 of the 80 barangays in Cebu City, enabling city residents to access government services and information.

This, after the Cebu City Goverment partnered with private telecommunications company PLDT to roll out free public Wi-Fi services in the 80 barangays across the city.

Biometrics refer to voter’s photograph, fingerprints, and signature digitally taken using the data capture machine (DCM) at the municipal and city Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices.

“Based on records, we have around 67,000 registrants without biometrics; of these, 30,000 are from General Santos City,” Atty. Gerada said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has advised the registered voters in Zamboanga del Sur to validate their data with the election office immediately as the deadline for validation and registration nears.

The deadline for the validation and registration of voters is on October 31 this year.

Zamboanga del Sur election supervisor Jossil Macute said that 38,440, which represents 7.17 percent of the total 496,180 registered voters in the province, do not have biometrics.

Jimenez said most of these voters, who had registered in 2004, should visit election offices for the recording of their biometrics data consisting of the registrant's picture and computer-recorded fingerprint and signature.

Bohol election officer and lawyer Eliso Labaria issued this alarm as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to re-open its continuing registration for new voters and revalidation or reactivation of old voters starting May 6, 2014 to October 31, 2015.

But according to the Comelec officer, I have no use for it since my picture was already printed beside my name in the voters’ list.

I didn’t have to bring out any of my ID cards from my wallet that was bulging, not with a wad of money, but with SSS, GSIS, driver’s license, S and R, SM Advantage, senior citizen’s, and company ID cards.

Aboitiz InfraCapital’s LIMA Estate, the leading smart and sustainable industrial-anchored estate in Asia, has clinched the Smart City Award at the inaugural ESGBusiness Awards, held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. This accolade recognizes LIMA Estate’s efforts in seamlessly integrating innovation with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into its smart city initiatives—driven by a strong commitment to transform Lipa-Malvar, Batangas into a thriving, next-generation economic hub.

Through strategic partnerships with global urban infrastructure experts and Aboitiz Data Innovation, LIMA Estate has successfully implemented a comprehensive suite of smart city features, that focuses on enhancing the liveability, resilience, and sustainability of its community.

PRC Finance and Administrative Division chief Juanita Domogen said they will launch this month a regionalized identification printing system that would only take four hours to produce an identification card.

The region has been chosen as a pilot area for the implementation of this project, she added.

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go is calling for the swifter digital transformation of government agencies so Filipinos may find it easier to access various basic government services online. The senator said that the COVID-19 crisis continues to highlight the need to invest in technology and promote E-governance practices to improve efficiency in the delivery of public goods and services.

“Gamit ang teknolohiya, dapat maging mas mabilis, maayos, maaasahan at komprehensibo ang serbisyong ibinibigay ng gobyerno sa tao. Lalo na sa panahon ngayon, magmalasakit tayo at pagaanin ang hirap na pinapasan ng ating mga kababayan,” he explained.

For the modern urban dweller, 15 minutes is a lot of time.

A lot of productive things can be done – a high-intensity, interval training (HITT) workout or run a 1.5-kilometer route, clearing your emails, meditating, catching up on the news, or preparing a quick smoothie – all within 15 minutes.

But for the Metro Manila commuter, 15 minutes is barely enough to get from point A to point B. During rush hour, it is most likely that within this time, you still haven’t moved an inch.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, underscored the importance of having a stand-alone agency focused on the development of this sector.

“ICT is perhaps the most powerful technology in the world right now, making it vital in a developing nation like the Philippines,” said Angara.

The representatives from the three local government units (LGUs) received the recognition at the conclusion of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Innovations Forum in the business district of the country, Makati City.

This was raised last Monday at the Department of Trade Industry (DTI) Strategic Conversations on E-Commerce forum that aims to serve as a venue to create a roadmap for e-commerce developments in the Philippines.

The PRC has launched its online application system to enable applicants for the various PRC licensure examinations to file their applications online.

The PRC, an attached agency of the DoLE, aims to provide faster and more accessible services to its clients through its e-services programs, one component of which is the online application system.