LGUs urged to embrace e-governance for efficiency
DAVAO CITY – The local government units in Mindanao must embrace e-governance to increase their efficiency, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Abul Khayr Alonto said.
Alonto said the government has been banking on e-governance initiatives to improve the delivery of services to stakeholders.
He said the local governments must learn from the experience of Davao del Norte and cities of General Santos and Cagayan de Oro which started digitizing some of their services.
Davao del Norte was recognized in three different categories during the “Digital Cities PH (DCP) Awards” of the Department of Information and Communication Technology and the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines held last week for adapting human resource and information systems, he said.
Alonto said General Santos was commended for its online business permit issuance and Cagayan de Oro for its ID application for persons with disabilities.
The signing of Republic Act 11032, also known as the Ease of Doing Business Act, last May is also another milestone because it would digitize existing systems and establish electronic one-stop shops three years after its enactment, he said.
“This effort to automate and expedite procedures through ICT looks at finally getting rid of the perennial challenge of bureaucratic red tape and provide our people with services that are both efficient and transparent,” Alonto said.
He said they are working with the Department of Trade and Industry in providing startup and innovation support to micro, small, and medium enterprises.
“Mindanao has a strong potential for a vibrant startup ecosystem so we hope that through LivEx, it can be scaled up to the global market through participation in the BIMPEAGA,” he said.
While the secretary highlighted the integral role of technology in the country, Alonto said he is also wary of its repercussions such as creating divides among the people and helping spread misinformation.
“This is why LivEx comes at an extremely crucial time. It is a platform wherein technology is seen as both an ally and a responsibility. An ally in a sense that it should assist us in shaping our ideals and realities into something more valuable and a responsibility because its influence can only depend on our capacity to utilize it for the greater good,” he said.
Livex 2018 and Innovation Summit were attended by 1,000 participants from the ICT sector of the four member states of the BIMP-EAGA.
The event was organized by ICT Davao in partnership with City Government of Davao, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
It encouraged technology and outsourcing innovators to showcase their product or service; promote business-to-business meeting with BIMP-EAGA innovators and local industry cluster players; and develop the ICT industry cluster in Mindanao vis-a-vis the digital economy. (Antonio L. Colina IV)