The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday enjoined the local government units (LGUs) to go digital as the country continuously combats the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Stressing that “going digital is the call of the time”, DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año noted that more than technological advancement, digitized government and consumer transactions are precautionary measures that can contribute immensely to impeding virus transmission and eventually boost the economy.
"The millions working from home, the students looking forward to on-line learning, and the workers who depend on the digital economy are all expecting government to address the gaps in our internet infrastructure. We therefore encourage all LGUs to beef up their digital platforms in their communities as we move towards the new normal,” Año said.
In a webinar tackling digital disbursement, DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the LGUs “have a rare opportunity and a key role in bolstering the digital platform, not just in government services but also in building business and consumer confidence during these trying times’’.
Malaya noted that the LGUs must encourage businesses to veer towards online money transfer - “which has become part of the new normal” – instead of physical payment.
“Many businesses have now been engaging the financial services provided by major payment gateways such as Smart Padala, Gcash, PayMaya, Google, and Click2Pay that have drastically changed our experience in making online payments – from the conventional “pasaload” to a more sophisticated process of online payment,” he added.
Malaya explained that cashless payment yields many advantages, such as convenience, customized to the client’s needs and saves more time than the usual payment medium.
He noted that one of the possible primary benefits of cashless payments is the distribution of the second batch of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) subsidy.
Malaya bared that the manual distribution of P97.7211 -billion funds of the first tranche took several weeks to be completed until the deadline last May 13, 2020, while the P16.809-billion SAP funds for the 3.824 million 4Ps families were immediately received thru their cash card or automated teller machine (ATMs).
“Despite some security issues that the government assures can be countered, online payment is also seen to reduce red tape and cost of doing business as all government agencies, through the Ease of Doing Business Act, are mandated to automate their processes including payment of taxes, fees, and charges,” he said.
Malaya also noted that some best practices are being implemented in every LGU as part of their COVID-19 response initiatives such as online disbursement of subsidies for senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and others as well as online payment for business and real property taxes.