QUEZON CITY (PIA)— President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., in his State of the Nation Address, enjoins government units and agencies to digitalize services for increased efficiency.

“Digitalization is the call of today; not the call of the future – but of the present. It is here. It is needed, and it is needed today,” says President Marcos.

President Marcos noted that government digitalization efforts are done in a bid to streamline processes for ease of doing business, combating corruption and making decisions in a data-driven and science-based manner.

Government government payments, company and business registrations, issuance of permits and licenses, loan applications, revenue collection and other notable transactions are examples of digitalized processes pushed by the president.

He adds that 42% of retail payments in 2022 were done digitally while the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ targeted total retail payments for 2022 is at 50%.

Digital Infrastructure

PBBM also notes in the SONA that internet infrastructure in the country has undergone some improvements as the Philippines now ranks 47th in broadband speed among 180 countries, 11 places higher than 2022.

The country now also ranks 83rd of 142 countries, 8 places higher than last year.

New internet providers such as Starlink, making high-speed satellite broadband connectivity accessible in the country, and government-led National Fiber Backbone and Broadband ng Masa projects are also seen as major enablers in the government’s bid to expedite digitalization.

In line with this, the president also signed Executive Order 2 on July 2, 2023 to hasten telecommunications infrastructure development by easing permits and certifications.

Sim Registration, National ID & eGov PH

“The DICT has been directed to consolidate all these digitalized government services into the eGov PH app, to establish the National Government Portal and the Philippine Business Databank, to improve the internet speed in our country,” says President Marcos.

E-Gov PH, launched June 2, 2023, is designed to help citizens access and avail essential government services, such as valid personal identification in digital format, day-to-day core services; e-tourism and e-travel services; e-payments and banking services.

The app centralizes essential services in a bid to streamline and expedite services to the public while minimizing and eliminating red tape and corruption.

Implementation of the Sim Registration Act and National ID are meanwhile seen as measures to ensure public identification and safety in line with the digitalization of processes.

“Digital users and consumers shall be protected from identity theft, phishing, other online scams, through essential systems and safeguards, such as cybersecurity, data privacy, consumer complaint mechanisms, and financial literacy campaigns,” says President Marcos.

The President has also tasked the Department of Information and Communication Technology and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to train citizens affected by the digital shift.  (GG/PIA with reports from PCO)