IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

While proponents of a national ID system in the Philippines argue it will improve government services, examples from other countries show the many uses of a national ID beyond government functions

President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign a bill that will put in place the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), also known as the national ID system. (READ: What you need to know about the proposed national ID system)

Telecom companies may not necessarily be solely at fault for the poor cellular and internet services in the country.

Some of the reasons why the quality of telecom services still leave much to be desired are the difficulty in putting up cellular sites and lack of government investment in information and communications technology (ICT), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said on Wednesday.

“Millions of registered voters still have no biometrics in the Comelec’s list of voters. Fail to fix that before October 2015 and they can’t vote,” Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said in his Twitter account, @jabjimenez.

In a statement, the department said the amount will cover the funding requirements for the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), the administration’s information technology (IT) system for integrating all public financial management processes.

To help fast-track loan applications, the Pag-IBIG Fund has improved its online service portal.

Pag-IBIG, in a statement issued on August 12, said top officials of the agency approved several improvements to Virtual Pag-IBIG during the quarantine period to allow members to apply for a Multi-Purpose Loan (MPL) or a Calamity Loan, online.

Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, who heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, said the move was done as response to the call of President Duterte for them to implement online systems to provide faster service to the public.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the President is not keen on establishing the Department of ICT (DICT), as some lawmakers have already deemed it “unnecessary.”

Abad said the President is not against the principles behind the creation of the DICT, but he questioned whether this was an “appropriate mechanism” since it would mean opening provincial offices and attached agencies that would “stifle our intent” of streamlining government.

PCOO Secretary Herminio Coloma on Sunday said in a radio interview that the government would adopt a biometric system for the CCT to improve the identification of the families that the program aids.

Students and architects who may want to respond to current building and climate-related challenges can soon learn how to design and develop environmentally friendly, efficient smart cities over a 30-day period.

The course, titled “Postgraduate Certificate in Smart Cities Development and Management,” will hold its first classes on Sept. 22, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is a collaboration between urban planning and architecture firm Palafox Associates and the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).

Representatives of the three local government units (LGUs) received the recognition at the conclusion of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Innovations Forum in Makati City.

The San Fernando City government’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Technical Working Group (STI-TWG) participated in a three-day workshop organized in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 3.

The Smart Sustainable City Seminar-Workshop, held from October 7 to 9 at the City’s Executive Building, aimed to boost the city employees’ technical skills in planning and implementing data-driven, sustainable initiatives supporting national smart city goals, according to the City Information Office (CIO).

The local government of San Fernando City in Pampanga province is setting its sights on becoming a “smart sustainable city” by harnessing the power of information and communication technology (ICT).

This ambitious goal is outlined in a detailed plan on the city’s website, which highlights three key focus areas: ICT system development (e-services), ICT industry and community development, and ICT infrastructure development.

A fast and free fiber-powered public wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access for Fernandinos is coming very soon in the City Hall of San Fernando and Old Public Market in Barangay Sto. Rosario, City of San Fernando.

This, after Mayor Edwin Santiago and PLDT chairman and chief operating officer Manuel V. Pangilinan signed a memorandum of agreement on November 29, at Heroes Hall for the installation of a carrier-grade Wi-Fi in the said areas.

The need for resilient, affordable and secure Internet access has become more pronounced than ever, as the Covid-19 pandemic has forced human connection and interaction to be digitized in all ways possible, to flatten the curve, so to speak. Millions of workers, including public servants, must work from home, and hospitals, schools, local governments and business operations rely on the Internet to avoid the least disruption despite the social distancing required by circumstance.

The Parañaque City government has launched the on-site digital disbursement of its local cash assistance program for 50,000 households in the city amid the modified enhanced community quarantine status in Metro Manila.

In partnership with Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), the beneficiaries can now withdraw their P5,000 cash aid through Bank on Wheels, a 5G-powered and airconditioned banking kiosk in a mobile van.

In a statement, said social media accounts will help keep residents and the public well-informed at the same time, promote the Parañaque City and attract more investors to the city.

“We have continuously been establishing channels for communication with our constituents aiming to provide them with accurate and timely information and at the same time, get feedbacks. With these social media accounts, information dissemination and exchange will be faster,” Bernabe said.

Parañaque City Mayor Jun Bernabe said that with the new attendance machines in place, long queue and long waits to time and out, as well as employee complaints can be effectively addressed, and they can immediately go back work.

Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano launched the city’s “Electronic Mamamayan Identification Card” which can be used in contract tracing, commerce, as a city ID, and an e-wallet for the distribution of financial aid.

“It is with great pride that I introduce to you today our first-ever smart city ecosystem that will help improve our lives as we step up to globalization,” the mayor said in a video message late Sunday night (May 16).

With the continuing pervasiveness of widespread corruption in government, Senator Win Gatchalian is eyeing to pursue policies that mandate the shift to a digital government. This means accelerating digitization and digitalization efforts in government processes and transactions, including collection of tax payments and other regulatory fees.

“Hindi na kailangan pang pumunta sa mga tanggapan ng pamahalaan at pumila. Dito nagsisimula ang problema. Basta may pila sa mga transaksyon sa gobyerno, asahan na natin na may mga fixer at alam niyo na kung ano ang nangyayari kapag may mga fixer,” said Gatchalian.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Friday, Sept. 5, announced the integration of the PasigPass system with the national ID to create a more efficient and secure database, preventing people from using fake identities to access services meant for officially registered Pasigueños.

The announcement was made following the ceremonial signing agreement of the local government with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at the temporary Pasig City Hall.

In a bid to streamline services by digitizing and developing Pasig into a “smart city,” the local government launched its City-Wide Land Information Management and Automation (CliMA) project on Wednesday, July 5.

CliMA is a project of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) that seeks to “establish an automation system, anchored on a geographic information system (GIS) platform for the regulatory operations and other functions, based on existing mandates and policies such as the Pasig Zoning Ordinance.”