The push to transform government services through digitalization, led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, is now just one step away from Senate approval after passing the Second Reading.
During the plenary session, Cayetano, the bill’s sponsor, introduced his amendments to Senate Bill No. 2781, also known as the proposed “E-Governance Act,” along with the changes proposed by Minority Leader Senator Koko Pimentel and Senator Win Gatchalian.
This development came less than a week after the bill passed the interpellation stage.
The proposed E-Governance Act aims to streamline government processes and make them more transparent by institutionalizing a national framework for a unified digital government system.
This framework, to be spearheaded by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), will guide agencies on the technical and informational standards they need to adopt for seamless digital integration.
The framework will be based on a comprehensive master plan, which will be updated every three years to keep up with rapid technological advancements.
The “Integrated Government Network” (IGN) will connect all government websites and applications and allow different agencies to share data more efficiently.
At the heart of the plan is a secure network called the “Integrated Government Network” (IGN), which will connect all government websites and applications and allow different agencies to share data more efficiently.
For ordinary Filipinos, these changes mean a smoother experience: no more long lines or switching between multiple apps to access government services.
The veteran legislator, who chairs the Committee on Science and Technology, had earlier emphasized the importance of leveraging technology for nation-building.
“It is a tool that, if used effectively and assigned properly to various agencies, can address many of our challenges today.”
“It is not per se the solution to all of our problems, but it is a tool that, if used effectively and assigned properly to various agencies, can address many of our challenges today,” the seasoned lawmaker said during the plenary debate on the bill.
The senator highlighted the lack of interoperability as one of the main issues with existing government digital platforms, a problem the E-Governance Act aims to solve.
“This bill is actually a product of the experience of the DICT in the last few years. This is to emphasize and articulate what they need,” he said.
The bill has received support from other senators, including Pimentel, who thanked Cayetano for championing the proposal.
“The times have changed. Talagang very critical na po itong DICT,” Pimentel said.
The bill is now set to be approved on Third and Final Reading in upcoming sessions.
