House panel OKs bill institutionalizing e-governance
The appropriations committee of the House of Representatives has approved a bill that would help institutionalize e-governance in the bureaucracy and make it easier for Filipinos to transact with government in this digital age.
“With the establishment of the Philippine Infostructure Management Corp., we can ensure that our citizens will have access to efficient, reliable, and responsive government services,” Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, panel chairman, said of House Bill 3.
“This is a significant milestone in modernizing the government’s systems and processes,” Co said.
The measure – among President Marcos’ priority legislation and authored by his cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez – seeks to establish the PIMC to enhance the delivery of government services through interoperability and maximization of resources.
Romualdez said government policies “must be responsive to the needs of our people, rather than burden them with totally avoidable restrictions.”
“Digitalization is evidently the most efficient solution to the gap in the delivery of government services,” added the congressman from Leyte.
Romualdez’s co-authors include his wife, Rep. Yedda Marie of Tingog party-list, and nephew Sandro Marcos of the first district of Ilocos Norte, who is the eldest son of the President.
The bill seeks to promote the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in transforming government processes, operations and service delivery into more citizen-centric, interconnected and transparent governance.
It covers all executive, legislative and judicial offices, including local government units, state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations, as well as other instrumentalities that provide services covering business and nonbusiness-related transactions.
The passage of the bill is seen as a critical step toward the country’s digital transformation, enabling the government to provide fast, transparent and efficient services to the public.
Marcos emphasized the need to take full advantage of new technologies and techniques to provide the Filipino people with the best services they deserve, making the government more adaptive to fast-changing developments.
ICT Secretary Ivan John Uy expressed support for the bill, calling it timely and urgent legislation that will allow government to provide services in a more pro-active, seamless and effective manner.
The creation of the PIMC is seen to improve the delivery of government services to the public by leveraging technology to provide faster and more accessible services to Filipinos.
The PIMC will be responsible for implementing e-governance initiatives across different government agencies, ensuring more efficient and effective government service delivery.
With the approval of the bill on the committee level, it will now proceed to the plenary for further deliberation and approval.
The passage of the bill is expected to benefit the government and the public by enabling them to transact with the government in a more convenient and efficient manner.