The push to transform government services through digitalization is now just one step away from Senate approval.

This after the Senate passed Senate Bill No. 2781, also known as the proposed “E-Governance Act,” on second reading on Tuesday, January 21.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, sponsor of the bill said, the measure may not be “the solution to all” of governance problems but it is a tool that, “if used effectively and assigned properly to various agencies, can address many of our challenges today.”

The proposed E-Governance Act aims to streamline government processes and make them more transparent by institutionalizing a national framework for a unified digital government system.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will spearhead the institutionalization of the framework which will guide agencies on the technical and informational standards they need to adopt for seamless digital integration.

The said framework shall be based on a comprehensive master plan which will be updated every three (3) years to keep up with rapid technological advancements.

Furthermore, the measure seeks the establishment of a secure network called the “Integrated Government Network” (IGN), that will connect all government websites and applications and allow different agencies to share data more efficiently.

Cayetano said he is certain that ordinary Filipinos will look forward to a digitalized government transactions as it would lead to a more smoother, more efficient access to government services.

“This bill is actually a product of the experience of the DICT in the last few years. This is to emphasize and articulate what they need,” said Cayetano, who chairs the Committee on Science and Technology.

“The times have changed. Talagang very critical na po itong DICT,” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III also said of the measure.