Cagayan de Oro, the capital city of the fastest growing regional economy in the country in 2008, is in the forefront of the country´s initiatives in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as one of ten identified Next Wave Cities and one of the sites during the "high-tech" multi-site videoconference launching "Convergence 2009".
This activity brought together the CICT´s Cyber Corridor Road show, the Talent Caravan of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) in a nationwide tour of the ten Next Wave Cities to promote the Philippine Cyber Corridor program and the nine developing BPO-IT location cities, ensure the supply of skilled workers for the BPO-IT industry, increase awareness on the use of ICT and develop small and medium enterprises through technology.
The lighting of the Cyber-Corridor was meant to demonstrate the Philippines´ advanced IT infrastructure through a simultaneous on-line video conference with all identified BPO-IT developing cities in the country including Cagayan de Oro. But while the infrastructure is already there, most government agencies are still figuring out how to capitalize on its existence to push their programs and bring government closer to the people.
Not the Department of Interior and Local Government. When Interior Secretary Ronnie Puno was unable to travel to Baguio City recently to attend a congress of the Cavite chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay due to the situation in the South which required his presence in Manila , he had to call off his engagement but not his speech.
Through the facilities of the newly-launched Cyber Corridor, Puno was able to deliver his message to the barangay officials through a teleconference via the Internet from his office in Camp Crame.
Besides showing how the marvels of the new digital revolution can bring government closer to the grassroots, Puno further reinforced the lesson by demonstrating how even if the video conference was done electronically, barangay officials and their dependents could still expect concrete benefits from his electronic presence through the release of free health insurance coverage for some 1.2 million barangay officials and their dependents through the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
During the video conference, Puno also committed to lobby Congress to set aside funds in the national budget to fund benefits due all barangay officials as provided under the Local Government Code, regardless of their IRA and classification.
The DILG had previously laid the groundwork for this program when it entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Liga ng mga Barangay and the leagues of provinces, cities and municipalities on the payment of the barangay officials' premiums though a cost-sharing arrangement. Barangay officials in city or municipal barangays with annual Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shares of less than P1 million are its target beneficiaries. Thus, most of the participants to the Baguio congress would benefit from this project since many of the barangays in Cavite are entitled to an IRA of less than a P1 million per year.
Under the arrangements for this DILG project, PhilHealth would shell out P1, 080 while participating local government units (LGU) only contribute equity of P120 for 4th to 6th class municipalities. First to third class cities and municipalities split the costs 50-50, with the LGUs and PhilHealth each paying P600 per beneficiary.
The Local Government Code provides benefits for barangay officials such as Christmas bonuses, death and medical benefits, and educational scholarships for themselves and their children in state universities and colleges. However, most barangay officials fail to enjoy these benefits due to them due to budgetary constraints.
During his first stint as DILG secretary under the former president Joseph Estrada administration, Puno was able facilitate the release of benefits to all barangay officials in 1999 and 2000 because of an existing funding program in the General Appropriations Act or national budget. However, this funding program disappeared when Puno left DILG.
On top of this program, Puno also ably demonstrated how video conferencing via the country´s Cyber Corridor enabled agencies like the DILG to address problems on the fly. When participants called his attention to their problem in accessing free college scholarships, Puno immediately called Commission on Higher Education Chair Emmanuel Angeles to discuss the problem. Angeles eventually issued a memorandum reminding SUCs of their mandate to provide free college education to barangay officials and their legitimate dependents.
Hopefully, Puno´s concrete demonstration of how the Cyber Corridor can facilitate good governance with immediate impact on government´s constituents would spur the slower and moribund agencies to take a closer look at Convergence 2009.
Convergence 2009 is supported by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and the Coordinating Council Of Private Education Associations (COCOPEA).
The program entails the holding of a two (2)-day road show in each of the nine Next Wave cities, including Cagayan de Oro. Each road show would feature plenary and break-out track sessions, exhibits, call center job simulation, career assessments and a job fair. Road show presentations will focus on e-government, human capital development, information infrastructure and cyber-services, mirroring the main thrusts of the CICT.
The nationwide road show covers the ten Next Wave Cities of Cagayan de Oro, Metro Laguna, Metro Cavite, Iloilo , Davao , Bacolod , Pampanga Central, Bulacan Central, Bulacan South and Lipa City. It is scheduled to visit Cagayan de Oro on November 12-14, 2009.
A major part of said e-Governance Track is the presentation of the National Computer Center ´s eGovernment initiatives. The presentation will showcase the Jumpstarting Electronic Governance in Local Governance Units (eLGU), eSerbisyo, eBayad and the Community eCenter Program.
Also scheduled during the road show will be the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing between the NCC and the new Community eCenter (CeC) beneficiaries for 2009. Through the Philippine Community eCenter project, an estimated 200 LGUs each year shall be receiving equipment, trainings and other support to setup a CeC in their municipality.
The track is expected to bring together national and local government officials from all over the country to collaborate and update in e-government development efforts in the Philippines.
Proclamation No. 1521, signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in May 2008, declared the month of June as National ICT Month, acknowledging its vital role in national development. As the lead government agency, the CICT is tasked to plan, promote and oversee the country´s ICT development, was also put in charge of organizing National ICT Month celebrations.
"This year´s theme highlights that, now more than ever, ICT will play a crucial role in our nation´s future," said CICT Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III. "Already, we are witnessing the benefits of ICT in various aspects of development. The IT-BPO sector, for example, has remained resilient in the midst of the current global economic crisis."
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Mike Banos
Quelle/Source: American Chronicle, 10.08.2009
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