MANILA, Philippines — Various delegates from the Philippines and other countries gathered for a two-day workshop focused on expanding and exchanging knowledge in information and communications technology.
The event, titled “Government Digitalization Cooperation: A Collaboration in Developing Capacity-Building,” was held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, from December 9 to 10.
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Among the attendees were Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary for E-Government David Almirol Jr., Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Dato Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, and Cambodian Minister of Post and Telecommunications Chea Vandeth.
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During the event, Almirol demonstrated the features of the e-GOV PH Super App—an integrated government platform where users can pay bills, check payment statuses, and access other services through a single mobile application.
He also presented the government’s E-Report application, which allows users to report crimes, fire incidents, and other emergencies to authorities. The app was launched in July 2023.
Also one of the topics discussed during the workshop was cybersecurity. According to Almirol, the country’s current state of cybersecurity is “good.”
“It’s much better now. Our cybersecurity has improved. The ones being hacked are the old systems that were previously compromised. But the new ones we have now are really solid, with strong new platforms in place,” he told INQUIRER.net, referring to government websites that experienced hacking.
However, Almirol acknowledged the need to strengthen protections against potential threats.
“We should be more preventive, right? As you build systems, they should already be secure,” he said.
Furthermore, Almirol mentioned plans to make some government transactions “paperless” by utilizing the e-GOV PH Super App. The target date for this project is 2025.