The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is supporting the passage of Senate Bill 1738 or the “E-Governance Act of 2020” that aims to transform the delivery of public service into the digital space.
DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan welcomed the development, saying the measure would complement the DICT’s plan to ramp up digitalization in the government.
“We are ramping up our digitalization plans to accelerate solid client-responsive reforms, and the filing of Senator Go of the bill is a welcome development towards a shared vision between the executive and the legislative,” Honasan said.
“The bill will help the country transition into the ‘new normal’ by making physical queueing a thing of the past.”
The information technology chief said the bill, filed by Senator Bong Go in July, would help the country transition into the ‘new normal’ by making “physical queueing a thing of the past.”
It said the proposed legislation aims to establish an “integrated and interoperable” information system for the whole government—including an internal records management system, an information database, and digital portals for government services.
“The proposed Bill also envisions the establishment of the Integrated Government Network which shall serve as the primary mode of information and resource sharing among the government. It shall serve as the government’s focal information management tool and communications network,” the information technology head added.
Currently, the DICT is working on improving the interconnectivity of government agencies, in particular through the Philippine Government Network (GovNet) program that aims to provide high speed broadband connection to government offices.
Aside from linking government agencies to a secure data center, it said the program would allow for the processing and transfer of big data “for more efficient public services.”
“GovNet interconnects government agencies to promote better information exchange and improve accessibility of resources.”
“GovNet interconnects government agencies to promote better information exchange and improve accessibility of resources,” he said.
The DICT said GovNet has so far connected a total of 792 government offices in 13 GovNet sites, with plans to connect an additional 463 agencies in six GovNet sites by the end of the year.
Aside from GovNet, its other programs on the interconnectivity of the government include the National Government Portal that provides the public with access to 231 e-Gov services through “www.gov.ph” sites, the National Government Data Center project that helps government agencies by providing centralized locations for the housing of computing and networking equipment, among others.