Former Civil Service Commission Chair Karlo Nograles on Friday laid out his plan to improve Davao City’s digital infrastructure to entice investors to set up businesses in order to create more jobs for the city’s residents.
Nograles stressed that “a Digital Davao is a business-friendly Davao.”
“We should not wait for investors to come to us; we should draw them to Davao with a modern city hall that can process business permits and all other requirements online. Nandyan na ang teknolohiya; kailangan lang natin gamitin.”
Nograles underscored the need for an environment conducive to business, starting with the elimination of red tape that would make the processes for starting a business less tedious and more efficient.
Besides jobs, Nograles also said that prioritizing the city’s digital interconnectivity would lead to better overall services for Davaoeños.
The former three-time Davao City representative also said that he will use what he learned in the CSC to make the city government’s bureaucracy faster, more efficient, and more convenient, as he stressed that “business permits delayed are jobs denied.”
Nograles also highlighted the role that easier access to internet plays in providing jobs to women and other vulnerable sectors of society.
“Better internet is crucial in providing jobs. A housewife, for example, who is unable to participate in traditional jobs due to care-work can capitalize on the internet and pursue digital entrepreneurship, and even access trainings and other learning modules to improve knowledge and skills,” said Nograles, who as CSC chief obtained approval for a P3.8-billion project aimed at modernizing the whole government’s human resource management systems.
“Let’s utilize technology so that our stay-at-home mothers can work from home. This is why improving access to the internet will be a top priority, especially in areas where network access is spotty.”
Besides jobs, Nograles also said that prioritizing the city’s digital interconnectivity would lead to better overall services for Davaoeños.
“We need to connect government agencies, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to strengthen communication, data sharing, and collaboration. Programs such as the social pension for senior citizens and other financial aid should be made digital instead of requiring people to line up under the heat of the sun or heavy rains.”
