The Philippines' digital transformation must go side-by-side with its continued infrastructure development.
Thus, reckoned Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte, who learned from Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy that the country’s full digitalization over the next five years would cost the government an estimated P100 billion.
Villafuerte was present during Uy's recent confirmation hearing before the Commission on Appointments (CA). The Bicolano is majority leader of the CA.
Villafuerte noted during the hearing that, for the Philippines to achieve long-term prosperity, “building infrastructure like roads and bridges should be undertaken side-by-side with building the information superhighway ... because if you have digital connectivity, people will have access to information—and growth and progress will follow.”
According to the administration ally, the planned nationwide digitalization would clear the way to e-governance, which “will be very beneficial for our country".
"Because can you imagine, for example, my provincemates in Caramoan take them four hours going to Naga City and four hours back—and probably spend thousands of pesos for the round trip—just to get government forms from that city," he said.
“All available forms, applications, permits, dapat talaga yan nasa website na at (that should already be on the website and) easily accessible to our people,” he said. “The problem is they go to, for example, the LTO (Land Transportation Office) tapos naubusan ng form, kawawa naman po yung tao (the LTO runs out of forms, leaving the public pitiful).”
“I believe, too, that if there is less human intervention, there will be less corruption. If most government transactions are done through online or e-governance, even payment of taxes, mas lalo po mapapabilis ang ating development and less corruption (our development will be hastened and there will be less corruption),” Villafuerte added.
The veteran solon, who had championed the country’s digital switch even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck almost three years ago, said the use of technology-driven tools will provide the country with new opportunities for growth and make it inclusive, especially for millions of Filipinos in the countryside.
Currently pending in the 19th Congress are the proposed E-Governance Act and E-Government Act. The twin pro-digitalization bills are undergoing consolidation at the House committee level.
Earlier mentioned as priority measures by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the bills--rather, the resulting harmonized bill-is expected to get approved on third and final reading next year.
In the previous Congress, Villafuerte introduced various bills to institutionalize e-governance.