GOV’T PROCESSES LARGELY OFFLINE

Online processing of cedula, business permit renewal mulled

Where is government in digital innovation?

For Joel Mari Yu, economic consultant to the Cebu Economic Business Unit of the Cebu City government, “little to no” government processes can be remotely filed or applied online.

“There is a very great need for digitalization in the public sector. We are not fast in digital innovation. In the public sector, there is very little or nothing that is done digitally, and that is a cause for alarm,” Yu said in a press conference yesterday for the SlingShotPH Cebu 2017 conference at the Negosyo Center inside the University of the Philippines Cebu.

He said he would lobby with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for some of the processes to be “fully digitalized,” which means constituents need not be physically present to get necessary government papers and documents.

“I will use whatever influence I have, and we will see what we can do to use your talent, and the expertise of DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and Cedf-it (now the Cebu IT/BPM Organization or CIB.O) to aid in the (digital) transformation,” Yu said, speaking to local startups and innovators.

He will lobby for the online processing of the cedula (community tax certificate), and application or renewal of business permits. An everyday scene in the Cebu City Hall is constituents queuing to obtain their cedula and permits, among other things. Such procedure he described as tedious and time-consuming.

The consultant said he has already raised this problem with Osmeña and the plan to digitalize processes, but there were concerns raised by the chief executive, such as digital trust.

Yu said another issue is that when the city government decides to go fully digital for some processes, this might also mean City Hall workers losing their job.

In the end, the official said full digitalization in public offices is a In the public sector, there is very little or nothing that is done digitally, and that is a cause for alarm.

JOEL MARI YU

long journey to make.

First, he said, processes have to be “streamlined,” which means making them shorter and faster, before going digital. Since not everyone has access to a computer and the Internet, he said government services can still be availed of manually, but people should be given an option to do it digitally and remotely.

While other governments in Southeast Asia, for example, Singapore, have been successful in their digital thrust, the Philippine government needs adequate resources and political will to make this happen.

In the Department of Trade and Industry, while one can apply for a business name registration online, he still has to appear at the DTI office to pay for it, said DTI Cebu Director Maria Elena Arbon.

The dream, said Yu, is to do this digitally and remotely, anytime of the day and at the convenience of the people. /