Highlights of Proceedings

Round-Table Discussion on “E-Local Governance” New media Techonology for Public Service in Local Government" September 30, 2004 – Venue: Club Filipino

Introduction

This forum is a sequel to the Roundtable Forum entitled “Citizen Centric Benefits of ICT” held in February 2003, at the Philippine World Trade Center.

Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid’s welcome remarks emphasized the opportunity of this Roundtable discussion to address policy issues that would enable the country to move into the Knowledge society.

To keynote the discussion, Secretary Cerge Remonde, Head of the Government Media Group stressed the point that amidst current fiscal crisis in the country, it is a challenge to show that ICT is a possibility, in response to President Macapagal-Arroyo’s priority to build infrastructure of broadband network to allow Filipinos to participate in the information society.

ICT Policies and National Programs

Usec. Virgilio Pena, CICT Chairperson

The policy environment of ICT was presented by Chairman Virgilio Peña of the Commission on Information & Communication Technology (CICT). The strategic directions taken are aimed at developing an e-enabled society, these are:

• To provide affordable access to internet to all segments of the population, only 3% is connected;
• To ensure capability-building of users through education and instilling a mindset;
• To develop a legal and regulatory environment, reforms have to be instituted to allow participation of the private sector as ICT has been privatized;
• The government should ensure a market driven policy to promote the country as an investment location, a world-class ICT services provider (decentralize opportunities to the regions to provide employment wherein the LGUs play a role); and
• To enhance LGUs’ capabilities to deliver e-services to stakeholders.

The main proposition of the legislative agenda is to create a Department of ICT.

Establish a Convergence Law for information and communication broadcast, and look into cyber security law.

In terms of connectivity, strategies have been focused on a number of areas:

• One is to create community access points in all barangays called Community e-Centers which will be managed and operated by local community;
• The deployment of a broadband network is also a concern (Wireline, Wi-Fi / Wi-Max, or satellite), wherein centers should be built first before such technology is determined;
• Applications are to be developed as citizen centric-focused, towards e-government: i.e. the delivery of local government services.

As to providing nationwide digital infrastructure, the present target is to equip all public high schools with computer labs (1500) by December 2005, 80% of all high schools and central elementary schools by December 2008, and all high schools and 20% of elementary schools by December 2010.

Mr. Timoteo Diaz de Rivera, Director General, NCC

The director-general of the National Computer Center (NCC) said it is with the e-governance vision to “make it easier, faster and more transparent to deal with government from the viewpoint of business as well as citizens » that the National ICT Programs are carried out.

At present, the ITECC/CICT E-Government Implementation Committee is focused on the following major initiatives for e-government: the review and update of the Government Information Systems Plan (GISP); the rationalization of existing e-government systems and the identification of mission-critical government frontline services that must be immediately pushed for implementation; the management of the e-Government Fund so as to ensure the allocation of e-government funding on mission-critical e-government projects.

More than majority of the government offices located in the central office has telephone, internet access and email telecommunication facilities: 74% of government offices and agencies have existing linkages, while the rest have plans of having linkages; 99.5% have homepages; and 54% provide e-services to the public.

One of the major breakthroughs of the national program is the establishment of an e-government fund for cross-agency, mission-critical and high impact projects. Examples of endorsed projects are the upgrade of computerization of the BIR, and the development of a portal for e-governance in the Civil Service Corps.

The creation of the Commission on ICT is another achievement. It is a national policy planning, coordinating, implementing and regulating administrative entity that promotes, develops and regulates IT development in the Philippines.

Director-general Diaz de Rivera concluded his talk on the future e-government plans, which is to push for the institutionalization of the e-government fund as an annual funding source for the government ICT projects to be managed by the CICT.

The e-LGU has been the flagship project of the Department of Science and Technology, and the priority project of the e-government Program (SUPERGOV), explained Mrs. Maria Teresa Magadia-Camba, director of the Field Operations Office at the NCC.