IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The event, which will run until Friday, Sep. 20, carries the theme: “Bringing ICT Oppurtunities to Countryside Filipino Talents.”

City Councilor Ramon Carampatana who represented City Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. welcomed the participants of the event.

“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,” said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez in his Twitter account (@jabjimenez).

Jimenez said that of the 52 million registered voters, there are 7.3 million who have not yet enrolled their biometrics data with the poll body.

The program was spearheaded by Civil Service Commissioner Robert Martinez, who discussed here in Iloilo City the benefits of ComEx to examinees compared to the traditional examination.

Martinez said that with ComEx, examinees would find it easier to register to the ComEx database because they can do it online.

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.

The partnership among the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Central Luzon, the local government unit of Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST), and Central Luzon State University (CLSU) is expected to strengthen the city’s push toward becoming a smart and sustainable city.

This followed their signing of a Memorandum of Agreement for Project ANGELA (Transforming Urban Mobility with Care and Innovation in Science City of Muñoz) and SCDI-HUB (AI-Driven Smart City Data Integration and Decision Intelligence Hub for Science City of Muñoz).

“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).

The Provincial Government of Palawan officially launched the Palawan ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Development Plan 2026–2031, becoming the first province in the country to establish a comprehensive roadmap that will guide its digital transformation over the next six years.

The roadmap was unveiled during the Digital Bayanihan Caravan of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) MIMAROPA on July 15, bringing together representatives from national government agencies, local government units, the academe, telecommunications providers, the private sector, civil society organizations, and development partners.

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.

Insider Spotlight

• Converge ICT is working with Iloilo City to help local government units accelerate digital transformation through scalable ICT infrastructure
• The initiative focuses on smart city technologies, secure cloud hosting, and resilient data systems to improve citizen services
• The partnership is part of Converge's broader push to expand enterprise and government digitalization using its nationwide fiber network

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is deepening its push into the public sector through a partnership with the Iloilo City government aimed at accelerating digital transformation among local government units (LGUs) and government agencies.

Already known for its state-of-the-art urban planning and as one of the country’s top highly urbanized cities, Iloilo is now chasing a different ambition: to become a smart city.

After posting the fastest economic growth in Western Visayas in 2024 at 7.1 percent, well above the regional average of 4.3 percent, Iloilo is turning its attention to building a digital backbone that can keep pace with its expanding economy.

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.