MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said his administration has stepped up efforts to establish a cybersecurity system, a crucial part of his administration’s push to digitalize the bureaucracy.

The President made this remark in an open forum at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland, where he touted the government’s digitalization initiative and improvements in bureaucratic efficiency.

“The security has become a huge issue… that’s what we are trying to design now, a cybersecurity system for this sensitive information,” the President said.

Noting the country’s slow internet connectivity, the President said the government needs to do better in terms of connecting millions of Filipinos and revving up initiatives to advance the digital economy.

“The connectivity in the Philippines is still pretty low. And it’s unfortunate because some of the studies we’ve made, the general consumer, if you want to call them that, talks to every facet of their lives through the internet, except for government,” the President pointed out.

Because of this, local governments have stepped in to ensure internet connectivity infrastructures are in place to reach Filipinos in the regions, said the President.

“So, local governments, and some agencies within the national government, would really take on the initiative and started their own systems so as to be able to communicate… So this has now got to be consolidated and put together,” Marcos pointed out.

“And that’s where we are right now: forming the databases for government, forming the databases that can be used by the national ID, [and] establishing it now,” said the chief executive, adding that the Philippines welcomes any assistance in helping the government boost its digitalization initiatives.

President Marcos has ordered to speed up the digitalization of the National Identification (ID) system that could be used for public and private transactions.

Under the Marcos administration, the government has activated thousands of previously offline areas under the Broadband ng Masa (BBM) and Free Wi-Fi for All programs of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). (PCO)