The powerful House Committee on Appropriations has approved, subject to amendments and style, the unnumbered substitute bill that would digitalize the delivery of government services.

Chaired by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, the House panel okayed the bill that seeks to institutionalize the transition of the government to e-governance in the digital age.

The original bill—House Bill (HB) No. 3, or “E-Governance Act of 2022”—was authored by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre, and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.

In the bill’s explanatory note, the Speaker noted how the Covid-19 pandemic “expedited” the need for an e-governance act.

“Digitalization of services is evidently the most efficient solution to the gap in the delivery of government services. It is high time to enact a law that would require all government agencies to transition to digital platforms,” the note said.

“The proposal will promote the use of the internet, intranet, and emerging technologies within and across government agencies and be able to provide citizen-centric government information and services. It likewise pushes for the digitization of paper-based and other traditional modes of workflows for a more efficient and transparent public service,” it added.

The proposal seeks for an establishment of a government online payment system, citizens’ concern center, public feedback mechanisms, public service directory, and online public service portal for individuals and businesses, among others.

The bill would also create the Philippine Infostructure Management Corporation (PIMC).

The House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, chaired by Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco, earlier approved the substitute bill. It then referred the bill to the Committee on Appropriations.

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy described the bill as “a timely and urgent legislation that will allow the government to provide services to all our citizens in a more proactive, seamless and effective way of delivering our government services.”

When enacted, he said the bill would allow the DICT to pursue e-governance initiatives “addressing many of the gaps in connectivity, data governance, interoperability and harmonization of all the different ICT programs that have so far been disconnected in all the different departments.”

The bill was one of several measures tackled for their funding provisions during Wednesday’s, Feb. 22, hearing presided by Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, the committee’s senior vice chair.

Also approved were the following substitute bills instituting the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers; establishing the Negros Island Region; standardizing the retirement benefits of justices, judges, and judiciary officials conferred with judicial rank, salary and privileges; modernizing the Bureau of Immigration (BI) by redefining its powers and functions, further professionalizing its organization, upgrading the compensation and benefits of its officials and employees; and mandating the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to design and implement technical-vocational education and training and livelihood programs, specifically for rehabilitated drug dependents.

The panel also approved these measures: establishing a voucher system for the poor and academically qualified students of private higher educational institutions and private technical vocational institution; establishing the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR); providing for early voting by qualified senior citizens, persons with disabilities, lawyers, and human resources for health in national and local elections; rationalizing the disability pension of veterans; and standardizing and upgrading the benefits for military veterans and their beneficiaries.