“Digitalization is the call of today, not the call of the future, but of the present.”
This was the pronouncement of President Marcos Jr. during his second State of the Nation Address as he directed all government offices to go full blast in digitalizing vital services as soon as possible.
The President said the government must fully embrace digitalization to provide better service to the people through its vital frontline services and its back-end functions.
“Digitalization will support the government’s data-driven, science-based planning and decision-making. It is the greatest and most powerful tool, not just to improve ease of doing business, but also against many forms of graft and corruption,” Marcos said then.
At the forefront of the administration’s digitalization effort is the establishment of a National Government Portal that consolidates digitized government services into a single site for the convenience of the general public.
This includes the electronic Government Philippines application (eGovPH) of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). eGovPH is a mobile application that simplifies transactions and provides citizens easy access to information and government online services, from both local and national level of public agencies.
DICT said that as of December 2023, the eGovPH app had 964,775 users and currently involves 38 government agencies.
The app provides access to electronic local government units (eLGU), electronic travel (eTravel), and the digital National Identification (National ID/PhilSys ID), among others.
eLGU is the online delivery of services provided by local government units (LGUs), such as business permits, community tax certificates (cedula), birth certificates, and occupational and health certificate while eTRAVEL is an online electronic passenger registration and Health Declaration Checklist mainly for the security of travelers and tourists.
The National Identification System provides Filipinos a trusted and verifiable identification program that will enable them to participate in the formal financial sector, as well as access employment opportunities and government services. It also paves the way for the creation of a “complete, accurate, and reliable digital database.”
The Philippine Statistics Authority said that as of Dec. 1, 2023, over 82 million Filipinos have registered with PhilSys.
Over 48.4 million PhilIDs have been dispatched for delivery, of which 45.1 million have been delivered.
The PSA targets to print and distribute 92 million physical national IDs by September this year. It also plans to update to the national ID database by October, with the National Capital Region and Western Visayas region participating in the pilot program.
The government is also establishing a Philippine Business Databank, has created an E-Commerce Roadmap, and is promoting the integration of e-payment systems especially in government banks and in the payment of taxes as well as in the Filipino’s everyday lives using the “Paleng-Qr Ph Plus,” among others.
Agencies are digitizing their records not just to hasten the delivery of services but also to come up with a verified databank for the list of beneficiaries for programs and services.
JUST A CLICK
Government departments have also been modernizing their systems. Agencies are digitizing their records not just to hasten the delivery of services but also to come up with a verified databank for the list of beneficiaries for programs and services such as those provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), to prevent redundancy and ensure faster verification and processing of requests.
Government agencies like DSWD have also adopted the artificial intelligence (AI) system in their information dissemination and messaging system to easily assist those who are seeking aid from the department. Inquiring about certain programs, requirements when requesting aid and setting up appointments are now made faster with a touch of a button or a click on the screen.
The government, led by the DICT, has also partnered with the World Food Program (WFP) to develop the Government Emergency Communications System — Mobile Operations Vehicle for Emergencies (GECS-MOVE) to improve the government’s capacity to respond to disasters. The program involves establishing six high-tech, mobile, emergency telecommunications units prepositioned in major disaster-prone areas in the country, to enable faster communication of critical information to frontline rescuers such as disaster coordinators and health/welfare responders.
BROADBAND NG MASA
To support the digitization program of the government, the administration is committed to improve the internet speed in the country.
When the Marcos administration started office in 2022, Ookla Speedtest reports the country ranked 58th among 180 countries in terms of fixed broadband speed and 91st out of 142 countries in terms of mobile internet speed.
As of December 2023, the country ranked 49th among 198 countries in the fixed broadband speed category and 86th among 146 countries in mobile internet speed.
The government led by DICT has been ramping up efforts to digitally connect provinces and remote areas in the Philippines through its overarching Broadband ng Masa Program.
It is also implementing the Free WiFi for All Program which has been providing free broadband Internet connectivity to 81 provinces and 1,346 municipalities and cities nationwide as of December 2023. It has installed 125 Free WiFi sites in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
‘If you want to know the truth, you should go to the Presidential Communications Office Facebook page and of course avoid fake news. Visit only legitimate pages.’
PROTECTION, FAKE NEWS
Recognizing risks that accompany the increasing digital activities in the country, the Marcos administration has adopted measures to counter this, like the passage of the SIM Registration Act which aims to protect digital users from identity theft, phishing, and other online scams; skills training through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to prepare those affected by the digitalization of the system; and the nationwide Media and Information Literacy Campaign against disinformation, led by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
The PCO, being the lead communications arm of the government, promotes transparent and inclusive communications between the government and the people, especially when using social media channels, websites and mobile applications.
In 2023, the PCO started a study to identify communities where media literacy is most needed; determine social media platforms through which these communities are most susceptible to fake news; and identify contents and topics that are the focus of misinformation and disinformation.
The study also aims to identify profiles of fake news peddlers; understand influences that open these communities to deception; and understand practices and habits of the target communities that create opportunities for exposure to disinformation and misinformation.
Based on the study, nine out of 10 Filipinos are either “victims of fake news” or having a “problem in their everyday interaction with information [and] media.”
The youth are also the most vulnerable because they are more exposed to the internet.
WANT THE TRUTH?
The PCO has coordinated with the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to include Media and Information Literacy (MIL) as a core subject in the school curriculum and conducted school caravans and MIL summits nationwide to better equip the young against fake news and disinformation.
It is also promoting the use of legitimate webpages and is closely coordinating with other agencies, especially those that have fallen victim to disinformation and false information.
It has been working as well with social media sites to take down fake social media accounts that use the names of government officials and agencies like the DSWD and the Social Security System (SSS) to victimize people by promising cash gifts, subsidies and other giveaways or making wrongful announcements such as non-existent holidays or class and work suspensions.
“Kung gusto niyong malaman ang katotohanan, dun kayo magbasa sa Presidential Communications Office Facebook page at siyempre iwasan natin ang mga fake news, kaya dun po sa mga tamang pages lang tayo bumisita (If you want to know the truth, you should go to the Presidential Communications Office Facebook page and of course avoid fake news, visit only the legitimate pages),” PCO Assistant secretary Rowena Hidalgo-Otida said.
