Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday higlighted the importance of information and communication tehcnology through e-governance to curb red tape and corruption in the government. .
“Using the technology, the people will see where are the papers, who are handling them, how much payments should be made for permit and how long will be the papers be released,” he said.
“They just cannot sit on the papers and burden those needing public services,” he added.
Go noted that in an age where almost everything can be done online and through other digital platforms, the government must harness the power of information and communications technology to better serve its purpose and bring the government closer to the people.
However, he warned that for e-governance to be successful, the transition should also be free of corruption particularly in determining the specifications needed and in the actual procurement of IT equipment as he cited issues plaguing the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation as an example.
During the first hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole held on August 4, PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales disclosed that there are some 5,000 members aged 130 years in the agency’s database.
Morales defended the need for PhilHealth’s IT projects which the Commission on Audit had flagged for irregularities, including the procurement of P734-million worth of equipment that had been not included in the original budget.
“The main solution to the systematic problem arise in a robust integrated and harmonized information management system, running a clean, complete, and updated membership database,” Morales said.
The senator, who authored Senate Bill No. 1738 or the E-Governance Act of 2020 which will facilitate the transition of government processes into the digital age, agrees that PhilHealth’s technological interventions can offer new ways to prevent, detect and prosecute corruption and may serve as an example to other public institutions.
However, he cautioned that the same interventions can also be misused to create new opportunities for fraud and corruption.
“While your efforts to initiate IT reforms are commendable, kailangan rin siguraduhin that the transition itself is free from corruption.”
The senator strongly believes that digitalizing the delivery of public services can address the deeply rooted and systemic corruption plaguing government in addition to improving its responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency.
The proposed measure shall mandate the establishment of an internal government network which will allow the national and local governments to share information, data and resources. It will likewise create online public service portals, an internal records system and a national directory of information on Philippine citizens and public officials, among others.
The transition will be led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology which is the government body with the technical expertise to ensure the quality, security and reliability of ICT infrastructure and services. It shall supervise and regulate the establishment and operations of all pertinent infrastructure, systems and facilities.
If passed, the bill will allow Filipinos to directly access and request government information, documents and forms, with the exception of sensitive records pertaining to national security, via the internet anywhere and anytime through their small private gadgets.
Most importantly, Go pointed out that it will enable citizens to monitor the delivery of public services from start to end. Any delay in procedures will be traceable to the exact office and individuals.
“Armed with information, the public can demand their rights and exact accountability from the government, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption,” he said.
“We need to evolve— businesses are already transitioning to e-commerce and online transactions. Our education system is also championing blended learning. It is important for the government as a whole to expedite its transition as well,” Go added.