IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The Philippines government has announced introducing regulations to support convenient e-government public services, including e-invoicing adoption.

Outlined in the Philippine Digital Transformation Strategy 2022, released in February 2019 by the government, the goal is to have fully integrated and deployed e-government systems by 2022. The DICT, the agency in promoting e-governance, is in charge of developing an integrated government portal, which will allow the public to access various government services online. The portal is still undergoing pilot testing, and will likely be implemented by the end of the year, supporting at least online services provided by major government agencies, the DICT secretary told Business World last week. The Department of Finance (DoF) will also undergo a digital transformation and has already developed a long-term strategy with the goal of improving online service to the public.

According to an article by Biometric Update, program beneficiaries have been using their ATM cards for the program as collateral for loan sharks, who use the account holder's ID to obtain payments. The biometric program will ensure that they withdraw the cash personally.

The call was made during the eHealth and Telemedicine 2009 Conference and Exhibition today in Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila in Quezon City, where the congressman noted how the rapid development of information and communication technologies has provided a window of opportunity for the health sector to expand its reach.

Secretary Mario Montejo on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan’s Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) Yoshitaka Shindo as the Philippines transitions to digital television broadcasting technology.

The Philippines on Tuesday unveiled reforms simplifying the process of starting a business to 6 steps and 8 days, down from the existing set-up requiring 16 steps and 34 days. The government also announced e-government initiatives for accessible and convenient online transactions for payroll-related payments to Philhealth and Pag-IBIG, reducing the number of payments from 36 to 13 per year.

In a press conference today, the Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry, the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and 9 other institutions announced the launch of the reforms—a product of continuing work under the NCC’s Gameplan 3.0 synergizing government processes related to easing the conduct of business in the Philippines. Gameplan 3.0 streamlines and simplifies government processes across 10 transactions related to the “Ease of Doing Business” as measured annually by the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Government looking to cut queues and bureaucracy to delivery services.

The Philippines plans to create a new Department of ICT to deliver online services to citizens. A bill to create the new department will be passed by June, a Senator said.

The bill will lead to a restructuring of the Department of Transportation and Communication, into two separate departments responsible for transportation and ICT. E-government initiatives are currently implemented by the ICT Office in the Department of Science and Technology.

Launched in January this year, MITHI aims to ensure consistency of ICT platforms between agencies. “Standalone systems and restricted-access databases that stifle synergies between agencies are a thing of the past”, declared Mario Montejo, Secretary of Department of Science and Technology, one of the agencies overseeing MITHI.

While some larger agencies operate their own data centres, smaller agencies “don’t have that luxury” and would benefit from a consolidated data hub, said Denis Villorente, Director, Advance Science & Technology Institute, Department of Science & Technology, the Philippines.

“If we had more computing capacity, gone would be the reason why there’s little data sharing between government and the public,” said Villorente. “It’s a chicken and egg situation.”

The system, called electronic Transparency and Accountability Initiative for Lump Sum Funds (eTAILS), digitizes the processing of lump sum funds and supports the timely disclosure of lump sum fund release information on the DBM website (www.dbm.gov.ph).

The module for the priority development assistance fund has been rolled out during the initial phase of eTAILS project.

Monchito was the guest speaker at the e-Government seminar organised by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). He shared with the audience CICT's vision of a society where citizens have access to ICT providing sustainable economic development, efficient government service, quality education, and a better way of life.

The Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology (DOST) launched a Free Wi-Fi Internet Access project during the National Science and Technology Week activities held in Manila on 24 July.

Initially planned for rural communities only, the project budget was increased by the Senate to 3 billion pesos (US$66 million) to include public schools and libraries, state universities and colleges, parks, rural health units and government hospitals, light rail transit stations, airports and seaports, city and municipal halls, and national government offices.

According to NAMRIA Administrator Peter Tiangco, through the strategic planning project, NAMRIA has found its “True North”, which is a vision of a geospatially empowered Philippines by 2020.

US$31.6 million to connect 997 cities to free Wi-Fi.

The Philippines plans to roll out free Wi-Fi to nearly 1000 cities by November, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has said.

This week it tendered for the PHP 1.408 billion (US$31.6 million) project to set up Wi-Fi hotspots in 997 cities.

Together with the telecom firm, Smart communications, DOH will implement the programme called Secured Health Information Network and Exchange (Shine) to boosts the efficiency of healthcare delivery by cutting down the time spent in repetitive documentation of patient data in Iloilo city.

The programme will also aid in recording consultations, filling up and sending of referral acknowledgement and feedback forms, searching for health care specialists or facilities.

Discussing progress made in the agency’s goal to bring ICT to communities, Chairman of Philippine Community eCenter (CeC) Network, Dr Angelo Ramos, told delegates at the FutureGov Forum in Manila that there were many obstacles in the rollout.

“Connectivity is still a challenge for the country especially in providing internet or broadband access to municipalities.”

The project is funded by the Millennium Challenge Account – Philippines (MCA-P), an office of the independent US foreign aid agency created to help developing nations in their fight against poverty by way of implementing strategic threshold programmes.

"If we are able to connect each person in the archipelago through broadband, for example, we would be able to provide quality education even to those in the most distant barrios," Angara said during his recent keynote address at the 1st International Conference on Open and Distance E-Learning (ICODEL).

"We must maximize telehealth potential and adopt international telehealth standards," said Senator Edgardo Angara, in his keynote address read at the first "eHealth & Telemedicine Philippines 2009" conference and exhibition which opened yesterday at the Crowne Plaza Galleria in Quezon City.