The Senate has approved the proposed E-Governance Act, which seeks to enhance government operations and promote transparency in state transactions, on third and final reading.
Twenty-one senators gave affirmative votes on Senate Bill No. 2781, no negative votes and no abstentions during the plenary sessions on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, sponsor of SB 2781, said the bill will benefit both citizens and business firms in the country as it also seeks to streamline government services.
Cayetano emphasized the need for the country to develop infrastructure that will enable the full potential of e-governance.
“Only God knows the limitation of E-governance in the digital age. Halos unlimited ang opportunities dito (the opportunities here are unlimited). Think of it, and it can be done,” the senator said, citing the importance of building digital infrastructure alongside physical infrastructure like highways and bridges.
The senator also stressed the importance of integrating the E-Governance Act with other initiatives such as the Konektadong Pinoy Act or Senate Bill No. 2699,and cybersecurity measures to protect Filipinos from online scams and fraud.
“E-Governance is not per se the solution to all of our problems, but it is a tool that, if used effectively and assigned properly to various agencies, can address many of our challenges today,” he said.