Sen. Christopher Go (Photo from his office)
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go is calling on the government to speed up putting government agencies online so that Filipinos can have easier access to their services, especially with the coronavirus disease pandemic keeping many areas under quarantine.
“Gamit ang teknolohiya, dapat maging mas mabilis, maayos, maaasahan at komprehensibo ang serbisyong ibinibigay ng gobyerno sa tao. Lalo na sa panahon ngayon, magmalasakit tayo at pagaanin ang hirap na pinapasan ng ating mga kababayan,” he explained.
[Using technology, the government should be able to deliver fast, orderly, reliable, and comprehensive services to the people. Especially at this time, let’s take care to make lift the burden from our countrymen,]
The Department of Information and Communications Technology must spearhead the digitalization of government functions and procedures, he said. But a survey of the country’s top officials and senior technology executives revealed that nearly half of the nation’s agencies are behind schedule in doing so.
E-governance promotes people’s participation
Go said that the government had always been committed to improving its service delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, highlighted gaps in the system that should be improved to make the country more prepared to face other crises that may come.
“Nakita natin ang importansya ng digital transformation in government. Sa private sector, napilitan ang mga negosyo na mag-adopt ng e-commerce techniques para mapabuti ang mga serbisyo nila. Lalo na sa gobyerno. There’s no better time than now to prioritize the government’s digital transformation,” Go said.
[We have seen the importance of the digital transformation of the government. In the private sector, businesses were forced to adopt e-commerce techniques to improve their services. More so with the government. There’s no better time than now to prioritize the government’s digital transformation.]
Go said that a government with a strong online presence would improve the access of citizens to its services, regardless of their geographical location or socio-economic condition.
An example of this is how the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has successfully connected its 17 regional offices and collated their data. This provided PhilHealth withinsights to improve its internal management and fine-tune its programs.
It also allowed the agency to swap information and coordinate programs faster with other relevant bodies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
Go highlighted thatusing digital health technology would not only address the nation’s most urgent needs during the pandemic but also reshape the health system, resulting in more efficient and responsive delivery of services.
He called on concerned government agencies to design health service applications that citizens couild access anywhere, anytime, on any device to keep them informed on how to protect themselves and be able to contribute to the country’s fight against the pandemic and future public health challenges.
“Isang benepisyo ng e-governance ay ang pag-promote ng people participation. Gamit ang teknolohiya, mas magiging inclusive ang gobyerno at mabibigyan ang mga Pilipino ng pagkakataon na tumulong at magbayanihan,” Go said.
[One benefit of e-governance is that it promotes people’s participation. Using technology, the government will be more inclusive and Filipinos will be given the opportunity to help and do bayanihan.]
Integrated health care database
Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, also stressed that an integrated health care database would strengthen the service delivery of government initiatives, such as the Malasakit Center.
Malasakit Centers bring together various agencies — namely the Department of Health, the DSWD, PhilHealth, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office — under one roof. The initiative was institutionalized under the Malasakit Center Act of 2019 (Republic Act No. 11463 ), which was principally authored by Go.
Its primary aim is to provide better access to financial medical assistance from the government to help bring down to the lowest amount the hospital bills, especially the out-of-pocket expenditures, of poor Filipinos.
There are 71 Malasakit Centers to date in the country. Through an online platform, Go said, Filipinos could access the services of the center with a push of a button and overcome the barriers created by social distancing practices and containment efforts.
“Isang halimbawa lang itong Malasakit Center. Kung maisaayos ang e-governance sa lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno, mas mapapadali ang proseso ng pagkuha at pagbigay ng tulong sa mga nangangailangan,” Go explained.
[The Malasakit Center is just one example. If all government agencies can be part of e-governance, the process of asking and giving help to those in need would be speeded up.]
“Kung maayos ang e-governance implementation, hindi na rin kailangan magpunta pa sa mga opisina ang mga taong humihingi ng tulong. Pwede na pong maihatid sa kanilang mga bahay ang ayuda sa paraang hindi mailalagay sa alanganin ang mga tao dahil sa sakit,” he added.
[If e-governance implementation can be put in place, people asking for help need not go to offices. Aid could be brought to their homes without putting those who are sick at risk.]
“Nagagawa na po ito ng ibang LGUs. Dapat lang na pagtuunan ito ng pansin para maisaayos ang serbisyong pampubliko ng gobyerno kahit saan mang parte ng bansa,” Go said further.
[Some LGUs were able to do this. It just needs attention so that the government’s public service can be put in order in every part of the country.]
Recalling his experiences as a long-time aide to President Rodrigo Duterte, Go explained how Davao City eventually became one of the most competitive cities in the country when it introduced various initiatives to fast-track the delivery of services through e-governance.
As mayor then, Duterte observed how time-consuming bureaucratic procedures rendered government agencies inefficient. Davao City was one of the LGUs that applied information technology and other e-governance reforms. This includes allowing businesses to download forms for business registration application or renewal.
In 2020, as President, Duterte issued Administrative Order 23 directing all government agencies and offices to eliminate excessive regulations which discouraged private sector investment and inhibited job creation while placing additional costs for businesses.
“Habang nilalabanan natin ang COVID-19 pandemic, sikapin rin nating maisaayos ang mga kakulangan sa sistema. Our goal is to make the government more prepared and more responsive to the needs of the people,” Go said.
[While we’re fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, let’s strive to fix the gaps in the system. Our goal is to make the government more prepared and more responsive to the needs of the people.]
/atm