IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Both national and local governments should adopt smart solutions and invest in emerging technologies to deal with risks such as climate change, natural hazards, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The rising population and rapid urbanization demand the adoption of more process, product, organizational, and communication innovations, and smart reforms to address environmental concerns, socioeconomic problems, and other related issues.

For local governments, the provision of critical services to the public, particularly in the sectors of public health, agriculture, and social welfare, requires smart solutions that can provide digital avenues for health consultation, agricultural extension and research, and social protection and monitoring. While there has been progress in the country’s digital governance indices in recent years, particularly on e-participation, e-government, online service, and e-infrastructure, human capital index is an area for improvement.

Known as GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System or G-W@PS, members can readily apply for loans, check membership status and loan accounts through the G-W@PS kiosk. Pensioners can also renew their active status through the kiosk.

SSS president and chief executive officer Emilio de Quiros Jr. said they are rushing the release of the new ID cards so as not to further cause undue inconvenience to members.

“We are already working on that,” De Quiros said.

A measure filed in the House of Representatives seeks to facilitate the digital transformation of students’ textbooks.

“It is no secret that textbooks in public elementary and high schools are limited in number and, as result, our students are forced to share or borrow from one another,” said Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, author of House Bill (HB) No.8020.

The Maasin City government in Southern Leyte has received PHP500,000 in assistance from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to digitalize local government services.

DOST Eastern Visayas Regional Director Ernesto Granada said in a phone interview Thursday they handed over the assistance to Mayor Nacional Mercado to carry out the “Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Ecosystem Development Toward Smart and Sustainable Maasin City” project.

“Through eHealth Room Reservation, St. Luke’s patients will be able to explore their room and price options online and reserve their preferred rooms in advance. This makes the admission process more convenient for our patients,” says Luis P. Sayo, St. Luke’s VP for Information Management.

This city is gearing up to become a smart city following a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on the Smart City Assessment and Roadmap Development plan.

The Sangguniang Panglungsod headed by presiding officer and Vice Mayor Arnold Arcillas has passed Resolution No. 162, Series of 2021, authorizing Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas here to enter into and sign the MOA for the implementation of the smart city project.

The project is part of the e-Government Master Plan program.

In an interview, Engr. Ernie Vargas, a member of the DOST- Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO), said the project aims to provide every national government office a bandwidth of one gigabyte by September 2014.

In an assembly meeting of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia expressed optimism that Subic Bay will become the next place to be for information and communication technology (ICT) businesses in the country.

“Our efforts to adapt technology in our changing times have paid off. Technology is an effective tool in our campaign for faster and more efficient delivery of services,” said Mayor Lani Cayetano.

Future transactions in this city will soon be conducted online using a web portal and mobile telephone applications, under an initiative to become Central Luzon’s first “smart city.”

Given the demands for automation and cashless transactions because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Tarlac has partnered with private developer Information Technology Business Solutions Corp. (ITBS) to develop the “Angel Portal Ecosystem Project” in order to improve the delivery of services in a shorter time and without generating huge crowds.

New Clark City was cited during a recent Japan forum for utilizing best practices centered on improving its future residents’ health and wellbeing, and in promoting smart city features.

SCI-Japan, a private sector-led, non-profit organization founded by think tank Mitsubishi UFJ Research & Consulting, as well as media group Nikkei, in July 2023 congregated smart city champions across the globe, through a forum titled: “Challenge of Japan’s Smart City Initiative Improving Citizen’s Well-being,” to introduce some of best practices and discuss how to utilize well-being indicators for policy design toward sustainable smart city business.

State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has partnered with the Korean government agency National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC) for New Clark City’s (NCC) urban planning, smart city development, green energy, and smart administrative systems.

In a statement, the BCDA said it signed a memorandum of agreement (MOU) with NAACC to further develop the 9,450 hectares of land in NCC in Capas, Tarlac.

Dr. Phoebe dela Cruz, municipal health officer (MHO), said in an interview that the San Jose de Buan and Villareal town in Samar, a coastal municipality, were chosen as beneficiaries of the program.

The National Telehealth System (NTS) connects hospital-based medical specialists and patients in remote and geographically-isolated areas where access to quality medical specialty care is poor. This is done through an appliance called RxBox that collects health data from patients in rural health units.

A special plaque of recognition was given by the ICT Office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST – ICT Office) during the awards ceremonies that took place on June 18, 2014 at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila. Approximately 400 participants from various cities and municipalities attended the forum and witnessed the awarding ceremony.

The rationale at work in the cancellation of the entire list of voters in the ARMM is the belief that the integrity of the said list is in question. It has always been alleged that the list contains ghost voters, thus in no way could there be credible elections in the ARMM. Notwithstanding the sophisticated scanning for multiple registrations, the President and the reform-minded ARMM OICs have asked for a new general registration in the ARMM.

The gap in the use and knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT) across the bureaucracy is far and wide, making it difficult to access or even share information among agencies. The challenge also goes beyond the technical aspect of having the infrastructure to process and publish data in a timely manner. Some agencies were said to have “concerns” about providing information because it may be used against them.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Thursday said it is targeting to install over 9,000 free Wi-Fi sites nationwide next year to enhance the country's digital transformation efforts.

In a Laging Handa public briefing, DICT Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo said the agency aims to set up 9,762 additional sites in public places and 162 sites in state universities and colleges.

The future is digital. When the COVID-19 pandemic required strict quarantine guidelines, it was no surprise that business, financial, and even personal transactions went online. One needs only to look into how more Filipinos now regularly use their mobile phones and computers to shop, do their groceries, and even transact with their banks. Our government processes and services should follow suit.

Around September, 2020, I filed the Use of Digital Payments Act (SB 1764), which aims to promote the universal use of safe and efficient digital payment systems for financial transactions involving the government and the general public. It was only logical that more of our government agencies adopted online payments, given the directive for people to stay home or refrain from crowded spaces (including cue lines for paying one’s taxes at city hall). Anyway, more of our people were adopting services such as PayMaya or GCash, which in itself saw an150 percent uptick in registered users between mid-March and July last year.

The five-point technology development agenda involves: First, more public-private partnerships (PPPs) to solve national problems using local technology. Second, development of appropriate technologies to create growth in the countryside such as food processing technologies, and “smart farms.” Third, improvement of industry competitiveness, particularly in the prototyping of automated gateway transit system for public transport and producing better graduates for the outsourcing, electronics, and renewable energy industries. Fourth, enhancing the delivery of government and social services, particularly the Government Broadband Network, National Telehealth Services, and National 3D Mapping. Fifth, using genomics to sequence the genetic makeup of Filipinos, agriculture crops, and wildfire.