IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Rapid adoption of digital technologies can help the Philippines overcome the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, recover from the crisis, and achieve its vision of becoming a middle-class society free of poverty, according to the report released today by the World Bank and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Titled “A Better Normal Under Covid-19: Digitalizing the Philippine Economy Now,” the report says that the use of digital technologies such as digital payments, e-commerce, telemedicine, and online education, is rising in the Philippines and has helped individuals, businesses, and the government cope with social distancing measures, ensure business continuity, and deliver public services during the pandemic.

The concept of a "smart city" has evolved significantly over the past two decades. What began around 2005 as a tech-focused display of digital infrastructure, IoT, and urban data has matured into a multidimensional, systemic vision. This early approach, while innovative, sparked criticism for its technocratic view, treating cities as collections of technical problems rather than living, complex systems. It also threatened to become invasive regarding mass surveillance and data privacy. Many pilot projects failed to scale, lacking context and integration with legacy systems, and often excluded citizens from planning.

As a result, emphasis has now shifted from technology as the driver to technology as an enabler of more livable, resilient and just urban environments. This reimagined "smart" approach necessitates system-thinking, moving beyond isolated technological fixes to integrated strategies that harness real-time data for adaptive governance, enhanced climate resilience in urban planning, inclusive growth, and collaborative policymaking. It also demands human-centered innovation, ensuring that technology serves human needs by designing systems that are inclusive, ethical and responsive to the complex realities of urban life, rather than imposing top-down solutions.

Last Oct. 12, the House of Representatives approved one version of a bill that lays out the terms to create a new government department charged with overseeing the development of the nation’s ICT sector.

The newly-implemented minimum broadband speed for fixed-line services is a step closer to solving the country’s Internet woes, says research firm International Data Corporation

Despite a continued upswing in the Philippines' information and communications technology (ICT) sector this year, its Internet services are still among the most expensive and slowest in Asia, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) said.

IDC said, however, that the newly-implemented minimum broadband speed for fixed-line services is a step closer to solving the country’s Internet woes.

The government will have a more strategic ICT push to enable technology adoption among organizations by 2021, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts.

In its latest forecast for the country, IDC Philippines noted that with a new dedicated, centralized agency at the helm of the country’s ICT development, the government will be able to lay the much-needed groundwork to enable technology adoption for organizations.

When the pandemic limited the ways we normally live, digital transactions, remote work and online learning, among others, were adopted. This abrupt change was much-needed to navigate our lives in the new normal.

But to achieve a true digital transformation, there is still much work to be done toward a future-ready Philippines.

The Philippines has increasingly caught the eye of Singapore businesses in recent years, thanks to its growing middle-class, young population and skilled workforce.

Indeed, even in the midst of Covid-19, Koufu expanded its Supertea and R&B Tea brands in the Philippines in August 2020, via a franchise with Philippine F&B group Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures.

The adoption of integrated infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) will accelerate the development of smart cities in the Philippines, Dell Technologies, Inc. said, with edge-to-core solutions providing the foundation towards sustainability, efficiency, and connectivity.

During the Smart City Convention 2026 held at the SMX Convention Center Aura this week, Rose Ann Ermita, senior solutions engineer and team lead for Dell Smart Edge Plus, highlighted the need for a “system of systems,” such as its Dell Automated Platform, that interconnects urban services like smart mobility and unified healthcare records.

Authorities in Jamaica are considering linking the national identification number (NIN) to the taxpayer’s registration number (TRN) once pending digital ID legislation has been okayed, according to the Jamaica Observer. The National Identification and Registration Act (NIRA) is awaiting parliamentary approval.

Warren Vernon, project director for the National Identification System (NIDS) was quoted as saying such a move would be for the good of the general population as the TRN is more widely used by citizens than even passports.

KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, officially opened its first KONE Academy in the Philippines. This dedicated training campus in Mandaluyong City is designed to cultivate a highly skilled workforce, directly supporting the nation's rapid urban growth and ambitious smart city initiatives.

The state-of-the-art facility currently trains 620 elevator and escalator (E&E) professionals annually, with plans to expand its capacity to 800 by 2027. By 2030, KONE aims to certify 4,400 professionals, significantly strengthening the Philippines’ infrastructure talent pipeline. This milestone builds upon KONE’s broader commitment to talent development in the country, which includes programs like the Service Operations Apprenticeship Program for high-potential graduates and the Delivery Operations Development Program for future operations leaders.

Philippine GMA City Delegation Benchmarking Digital Twin and Spatial Information Systems

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Shin Sangjin) announced on the 27th that a delegation from General Mariano Alvarez (GMA) City in the Philippines visited Seongnam to benchmark its spatial-information-based scientific administrative decision-making model.

An e-center operating in Zamboanga del Sur serves as a “human search engine” for American mobile telephone clients that answers to forwarded questions in under three minutes, said Andrie Silva Undal, president of the social entrepreneurial group, Wahp Foundation. Wahp is a popular online term referring to “work-at-home parents.”

Undal said the Zamboanga e-center trains and hires neighborhood youths to man the computers for queries from American mobile telephone users.

The new law declares that “it is the policy of the State to establish a clean, complete, permanent and updated list of voters through the adoption of biometric technology”. It was passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate in December 2012.

The municipal Local Government Unit of Lagawe is confident that they had all eligible voters registered in their system. Regional officials from the three participating barangays or administrative units, which are Jucbong, Montabiong and Abinuan, extended their help to the LGU of Lagawe and Election Commission during the registration process.

Both parties agreed to deepen bilateral collaboration and increase the exchange of expertise.

Ms. Amal Al-Falah Al-Sagroshny, Morocco’s Minister-Designate for Digital Transformation and Administration Reform, hosted David Almerol, Secretary of State for Electronic Management of the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines, along with an official delegation, at the ministry’s headquarters in Rabat on November 19, 2025. The visit was organized in coordination with Morocco’s National Commission for the Protection of Personal Data and forms part of ongoing bilateral cooperation in e-governance and digital transformation.

MYEG Philippines Inc is partnering the Philippines’ Land Bank to launch its first phase of digital e-government services in the Philippines.

In a statement today, MyEG Services Bhd said the commencement of online services by its unit in partnership, will bring “added convenience to the people of the Philippines in transacting with the government”.

The country has over 1800 marine protected areas and majority of them are under the jurisdiction of local government units. These regulated areas include marine parks, marine reserves and landscapes where certain activities such as fishing are not allowed.