PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed the E-Governance Act into law, which streamlines government processes and enhances transparency in the system.
Last September 5, the President signed Republic Act No. 12254, which adopts a policy to establish, foster, and sustain a digitally empowered and integrated government through the implementation of a regulated, secure, and robust information and communication system.
The unified digital government system aims to facilitate responsive and transparent online citizen-centered services and optimize the potential of an “open data for promoting economic growth while balancing the rights to freedom of information and data privacy of every Filipino”.
The law covers all executive, legislative, judicial, and constitutional offices, including local government units (LGUs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and government-owned or-controlled corporations (GOCCs), and other instrumentalities, as well as “back-end government operations between and across agencies and government-to-government transactions”.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) shall be the lead implementing agency and administrator of the law.
DICT shall also guide other government institutions in adopting technical and informational standards to ensure seamless digital integration, as well as craft a comprehensive e-government master plan, which shall serve as the blueprint for programs and projects relating to e-government.
The master plan will undergo updates every three years to keep pace with technological advancements.
An E-Government masterplan shall also be formulated by the DICT, which will serve as a blueprint for the development and enhancement of all electronic government service processes and workforce to achieve digital transformation in the bureaucracy.
The law also directs the DICT to establish a government-wide EGov Unified Project Management Office (EGov UPMO), which will be tasked to ensure information and communication technology (ICT) projects in the government are managed with efficiency and agility following international best practices and standards.
The EGov UPMO shall be headed by an Undersecretary for E-Government of the DICT.
The law also provides for the establishment of an electronic local government unit (eLGU) portal and eLGU software, both to be developed by the DICT; and an electronic payment facility and gateway that will enable citizens and businesses to remit and receive payment electronically to or from the government shall also be created.
A government website and electronic bulletin (e-bulletin) board – which shall be interactive, well-designed, functional, mobile-friendly and prioritize security and accessibility – shall also be established for more efficient information dissemination.
The DICT is also encouraged to promote the use of Government Public Key Infrastructure digital certificates that allow paperless transactions and remote approval by signatories in the government to reduce red tape and enforce ease of doing business.
The E-Governance Act is among the bills endorsed by the President in his first State of the Nation Address.
AVIATION ACADEMY
The President also signed into law Republic Act No. 12255 or the National Aviation Academy of the Philippines (NAAP) Chapter Act, which renamed the Philippine State College of Aeronautics as NAAP.
It also promotes NAAP as the country’s premier aviation training institution to align with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, promote innovation, support national defense, and produce world-class aviation professionals.
The law mandates NAAP to develop globally competitive professionals and supply technical manpower to key sectors, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
It shall offer academic programs like Bachelor of Science degrees in Aviation Safety and Security, Supply Chain Management, Aviation Technology, and other specialized courses aligned with international standards, as well as provide training for emerging fields, including drone technology, aircraft maintenance, air traffic management, and aerospace engineering, among others.
The NAAP will be governed by a board of trustees composed of the chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), secretaries of the Departments of Education and of Socioeconomic Planning, the Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force, the Director General of the CAAP, as well as representatives from professional aviation groups and industry experts.
The powers of the board include approving academic programs, setting policies on admission and tuition, authorizing faculty appointments and prescribing salary structures, and establishing research and training collaborations with local and international institutions.
