Working class citizens line up at government centers at the crack of dawn as they wait for it to open so they can begin the arduous process of applying for services that are requirements for them to make a living.
The Duterte administration, with its pro-people vision for the Philippine, has proactively and firmly taken the first steps in assuring that this kind of inefficiency will no longer be endured by citizens from all walks of life.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as the lead, have initiated discussions in the creation of the National Government Portal (NGP).
DICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima has requested the official turnover and full management and custodianship of the www.gov.ph domain and the Open Data platform thru data.gov.ph from PCOO.
With this turnover, there would be adjustments and developments in the abovementioned platforms. All pages, links, posts, etc. from www.gov.ph will now be handled by DICT. The Official Gazette (OG) which is the repository of all Republic Acts (RA’s), Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR’s), Executive Orders (EO’s), Memorandum Orders, Memorandum Circulars, Proclamations, and Administrative Orders (AO’s) shall still be managed by PCOO. Next steps would be for PCOO and DICT to agree on a migration framework and timeframe.
Once completed, Filipinos can expect full working sites with upgraded services that can provide citizens universal access to government services, data, and information through a citizen-centric ICT infrastructure.
The National Government Portal aims to provide a one-stop gateway where citizens can transact Government-to-Government, Government-to-Citizen, and Government-to-Business services and vice-versa.
Services, for example the Contact Center ng Bayan, and government information disclosed online through Freedom of Information will be accessible through a single window at www.gov.ph.
The completions of this scale will be another milestone for the Duterte administration as the government creates a more responsive, transparent, accessible, and socially inclusive government.
“I look forward to the National Government Portal that prioritizes people’s needs,” Andanar stated. The PCOO chief said that the country can only progress when it adopts to the changing times and creates a solid e-government strategy that will truly make a difference in people’s lives. -30-
