E-Government Implementation in the Philippines

Electronic Government (e-Government) is the use of information and communications technology (ICT) and other web-based technologies to enhance access of information and improve delivery, efficiency and effectiveness of service to the public (ICTO).

An ICT- enabled government

allows the citizens easy access to

information and services anytime

and anywhere as well as create

transparency and accountability in

government operations.

In pushing for e-government, the e-Government Management Group of Information Communications Technology Office (ICTO) formulates, implements and evaluates ICT policies, plans and standards; develops, implements and monitors the National e-Government Plan; implements the Information Systems Strategic Plans of national government agencies; provides ICT services to government agencies; and develops and implements the ICT human capital and professionalization program for government

iGov Phil

• Integrated Government Philippine (iGovPhil) is a joint project of DOST-ICTO and DOST-ASTI, the project aims to set-up a government-shared network that will facilitate deployment and integration of mission-critical ICT projects especially those that deliver common government services.

• Initially, the following developed systems will be targeted for integration: e-Serbisyo as the single sign-on portal, Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID), the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), eBayad and the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS).

e-LGU projects • Jumpstarting Electronic Governance in Local Government

Unit (eLGU) Project – Intends to revolutionize local governance by making the LGUs electronically enabled thereby improving the delivery of public service, promoting transparency in government transactions and increasing public access to government information services, among others.

Projects

• Electronic Real Property Tax

System (eRPTS)

• Electronic Business Permit and

Licensing System (eBPLS)

• Electronic Treasury Operations

Management System (eTOMS)

• Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB) is a joint initiative to improve service delivery and reduce red tape in government frontline services. Through a single number, a citizen can gain access to government services and information, report complaints and ask assistance through various communication channels.

• Philippine Community eCenter (CeC) Program - The program seeks to establish new CeCs in municipalities where there are no shared internet access facilities, transform existing school computer laboratories and Internet cages, where feasible, to become CeCs and enhance and strengthen existing CeCs.

Initiatives • National Connectivity and Broadband Development Plan. Selected

international studies have correlated broadband penetration to a country’s economic development. Similarly, the right to access to a fast, reliable, and secure Internet is now recognized by different countries as an effective driver of equity and participation. ICTO is preparing a plan to ensure that all Filipinos will reap the benefits of universally accessible broadband, through different policy instruments and interventions.

• Philippine Digital Strategy (PDS) Implementation Plan. The PDS is the national roadmap for ICT for the period 2011 to 2016. The ICTO is paving the way for its full adoption and implementation, in coordination with government entities, private industry, and civil society stakeholders.

• Cybersecurity and Data Privacy. With the impending passage of the Data Privacy and Cybercrime Prevention Acts, the ICTO continues to provide technical support in support of their implementing rules and popular advocacy, towards embedding cybersecurity and data protection in all areas of its work.

Initiatives • ICT Procurement Standards. After having developed ICT Procurement Manuals

and standard bidding documents, the ICTO is now advocating their approval by the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) and their full adoption by all government agencies.

• Digital TV Migration. ICTO is preparing the country’s migration plan to Digital TV, and developing corresponding policies for its eventual issuance. Digital TV allows up to 6 programs on a single analogue TV channel and will offer enhanced services to Filipino households.

• ICT Standardization. ICTO assists in the standardization of ICT products and ICT-related processes together with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Bureau of Product Standards (BPS), towards the promulgation and promotion of Philippine National ICT Standards (PNS).

• Philippine ICT Statistics Portal. The portal will be the gateway to government-approved ICT-related statistics, regularly compiled and updated to facilitate the analyses and development of ICT-related policy, and ICTs’ contribution to national competitiveness.

Source: DOST ICTO & DOST ASTI

• Department of Science and Technology (DOST) agencies, the Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) is encouraging government institutions to adopt the use of cloud applications over traditional IT systems, as it unveiled a new online service called GovCloud or Government Cloud, which will enable government agencies to use secure online applications for their various computing requirements.

Source: DOST ICTO & DOST ASTI

• The GovCloud is essentially a private cloud for the government and will be available for government agencies and their employees.

• Cloud computing has brought about a significant change in the economics and sustainability of ICT. By sharing computing resources through a high speed network connection or the Internet, applications can be allocated resources when needed and as needed, thus, reducing hardware acquisition and maintenance costs, essentially creating an “economies of scale” for computing.

Source: DOST ICTO & DOST ASTI

Philippine Digital Strategy (PDS) plan for 2011- 2015 aimed at mapping

out the country’s ICT direction.

Strategic Thrusts

The PDS identifies four strategic thrusts, namely:

1) transparent government and efficient services delivery.

2) internet opportunities for all.

3) investing in people: digital literacy for all and

4) ICT industry and business innovation for national development.

ICT Projects in the Philippines

Best Mobile App: Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH). “DOST’s mobile version of project NOAH enables Filipinos to access to real time information relevant to

weather conditions and disaster preparedness in

the palm of their hands (mobile phone) and new

ways of using mobile devices, thereby saving

lives and potential economic loss.”

MOSES THE PHILIPPINES TO ROLL OUT TABLETS FOR DISASTER MONITORING

By Clarice Africa | 16 July 2013

“MOSES” (Mobile Operational System for Emergency) aims to support the current operations of project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards).

• “Project Moses tablet is purposely designed to help local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council in making decisions concerning the impending disaster, whether to declare suspension of works or classes in schools or to take evacuation actions in their areas of concern,”

• The eight-inch tablet, which costs about Php 20,000 per unit, comes with dual SIM, TV, and Radio functionalities packed in a rugged shell and long-life battery that can last up to three days.

• It can receive real-time weather and flood information from PAGASA and Project NOAH. Additionally, it allows users to access weather data such as: temperature, moisture, and other vital information directly accessible from Doppler radar, water level sensors, and water gauges.

E-Government Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) – Personally Controlled Health Records (PCHR).

The plans for PhilHealth to release specifications for PCHR to enable a transformation on health data management is expected to recreate a patient-centric care as well as stimulating a new business sector on health data stewardship. The PCHR will be owned by the patients and co-managed with their health providers such as hospitals and clinics

Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) The GSIS acts as a custodian of the

welfare of government workers throughout the Philippines. From the successful expansion of self-service kiosks nationally, to the effective disbursement of funds in the wake of Cyclone Pablo, ongoing nationalization efforts with GSIS ICT infrastructure, and transparent outreach to the technology industry in order to secure optimal solutions and pricing for the agency’s ICT needs.

Asia Pacific Future Gov awarded four Philippine Government Organization of the Year

The four Government Organization of the Year were: Department of Budget and Management, Service Innovation: Bureau of Internal Revenue – Revenue Administration Reform Project, Information Security: Department of National Defense and Information Management: National Mapping Agency – Philippine Geoportal

Data Center: Makati City Hall was awarded for functioning as one of the country’s most important commercial hubs. Makati supports the needs of residents and businesses for a new state-of-the-art data center with high levels of security and redundancy – whilst at the same time reducing the ongoing cost of maintaining IT infrastructure.

National FutureGov : April 2013

Department of Education

MOBILE APP FOR TEACHERS DEVELOPED IN THE PHILIPPINES

By Sumedha Jalota| 15 July 2013

• The Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) within the Department of education in the Philippines has launched a smartphone application to support teachers involved in the non-formal education system in the country. The Bureau handles non-formal education in the Philippines, creating a system to enable students who are unable to attend formal school to receive high school diplomas. The alternative education system is supported by 6000 mobile teachers, who travel all over the country to reach the students where they are.

• The new app launched by BALS in partnership with telecom provider Smart will give these mobile teachers easy access to teaching material anytime on their smartphones or tablets. Electronic and mobile access is much easier for these mobile teachers, eliminating the need to carry multiple textbooks and other material around with them.

• The app doesn’t even require internet access for daily use. It is being offered free of cost to teachers, and comes pre-loaded on low-cost tablets teachers can use.

• The Department of Education and Smart Communications are further planning to introduce mobile learning solutions for students as well.

Bureau of Internal Revenue

REVAMPING TAX SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES By: Anshupriya Jha | 12 August 2011 |

• BIR started e-registration in May 2011 to curb the practice of registering fake identities. The new system allows taxpayers to update their information.

• BIR is looking to update its registration database and streamline the procedure for citizens to get their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), a number given to each taxpayer in the Philippines.

• BIR wants to make the process of applying as well as receiving the TIN electronic, thus saving citizens’ time, says Henares. In a bid to identity fraud, BIR is also planning to create a database of biometric identities of all taxpayers by procuring such information from other government agencies that already have such databases.

• BIR has connected 20 regional offices and 124 district offices to one central database. It is also planning to use geographic information systems (GIS) to map business areas

Philippines Community eCenter Network (PhilCeCNet)

Forging A Brighter Future for Filipinos, Together Posted by Angelo Juan O. Ramos on February 26, 2013

Best Telecentre Network. Nine shine in the 1st Global Telecentre Awards May 2013

iPinay Program, the continuing commitment to address the gender ICT gap, by empowering more women with ICTs. We are also engaging with more local and international partners to provide opportunities for our CeCs in various areas:

• Health information services & telemedicine

• Employment and Livelihood Opportunities

• Linking with Libraries

• Global connection and Exchange with high school

• Tech Age Girls • Micro-entrepreneurship & Business skills mentoring

• Community Based on linbe content development

ICT Projects

around the Globe

The Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai, has launched a smartphone application for shoppers to compare the prices of goods and find the cheapest supermarket. The app, called Sallety, allows users to compare the prices of more than 270 products across the eight major supermarket chains in the emirate. Users can also view special offers and discounts from the supermarkets, register complaints with DED. Currently, the app offers information on mostly food items such as cereals, vegetables, and milk products.DED is working to expand the list by including items such as electronics. DED is also trying to increase the number of shops listed on the app

APP FOR PRICE COMPARISON LAUNCHED IN DUBAI By Sumedha Jalote | 18 July Dubai

Israel • The Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises under the Ministry of

Economy in Israel, has launched a smartphone application giving small and medium businesses information about all programmes the government has in place for their development. The app, available for iOS and Android-based smartphones, allows owners of small and medium enterprises to view detailed information on schemes such as business assistance funds, consulting and training programmes, and business loans and grants that the government offers to businesses. The knowledge and tools will allow business owners to realize benefits, and access assistance and training for business growth.”

MOBILE APP FOR SMALL BUSINESSES LAUNCHED IN ISRAEL

By : Sumedha Jalote | 18 July 2013

Thailand THAILAND LAUNCHES ASEAN COMMUNITY E-CLASSROOM

By Clarice Africa | 19 July 2013

The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology launched the pilot trial of its ASEAN Community e-Classroom project, an initiative under the ASEAN ICT Master plan 2015, which aims harness the ICT skills of people with disabilities. The ASEAN Community e-Classroom is a virtual classroom featuring several ICT courses aimed at making sure that people with disabilities – whether blind, deaf and mobility impaired — is equipped with the necessary ICT skills to be part of a competitive ASEAN ICT workforce

• Users can simply create an account and choose their desired learning track from the eight course categories which include the following: Smart ASEAN Citizen, Smart ASEAN for the Youth, Smart ASEAN for Women, Smart ASEAN aged citizen, Smart ASEAN with physical disabilities, Smart ASEAN blind, Smart ASEAN deaf, and Learning disabilities guardian

Electronic Government Agency (EGA), Thailand officially launched an electronic correspondence management system (e-CMSin a bid to improve the system’s interoperability standard among the government agencies.

The launch of the e-CMS system for the government — called “e-Saraban as a Service on G-Cloud” or “e-Saraban”. “CMS system is one of the key missions to help promote, facilitate and organize the work and communication among different agencies.” “The project is expected to increase the use of ICT in CMS system such as e-CMS or the exchange of data between the e-CMS of each agencies,” he said. “The collaboration and single direction will help make the work process faster, reducing the use of paper as per the government’s ICT for green policy, and fostering the development of G-Cloud.”

THAILAND LAUNCHES E-CORRESPONDENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON G-CLOUD

By Thanya Kunakornpaiboonsiri | 27 May 2013 |

Thailand • Provincial Waterworks Authority of Thailand (PWA) will launch a new e-service for

water users to access real time water consumption expenses on the Government Cloud. The PWA last week signed a MOU with the Electronic Government Agency (EGA), a G-Cloud provider, to launch the PWA’s “Water-user Service Programme”— a web-based service that would allow water users to access and calculate real-time water consumption expenses.

• “This programme will provide sustainable benefit to the water users as well as they can continue to benefit from the further e-services that the PWA will leverage in the near future at the same time, this solution will help the PWA to reduce its service cost”. The PWA will also leverage shared data of citizen identification information provided by Provincial Administration Department (PAD) on the G-Cloud centre.

• “The water consumption information will be linked directly with the user database, in which it would allow the two sets of data to be transferred between them easily,” he explained and added that: “This flexibility and integration of data would bring a lot of beneficial prospects to both citizens and public sector.”

THAILAND TO LAUNCH E-SERVICE TO MONITOR WATER USE By Thanya Kunakornpaiboonsiri | 17 August 2012

Japan on line campaign

Aljazeera July 20, 2012

Japan updated its election laws last month to permit political candidates to campaign online, for the first time in Japan’s history. With the first official campaigning day for the upcoming 21 July Parliamentary elections yesterday, candidates from many parties are ramping up their online presence through smartphone apps and social media profiles.

The governing Liberal Democratic Party has launched four smartphone apps recently, with another to be launched soon. Available for iPhones and Android-based smartphones, one app aggregates news aboutLDP candidates and allows users to browse profiles of each candidate, with links to their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

UK UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES APP FOR DISTANT LEARNING By Thanya Kunakornpaiboonsiri | 30 January 2013

Open University(OU), UK today launched a mobile app—’OU Anywhere’, allowing students to study for their qualifications regardless of location and distant with the course materials to be made available on the app.

• Via the OU Anywhere app, students will have the option to download all their course and module textbooks, videos and other materials they need, allowing them to study while at home, in the office, or on the move. Moreover, the course’s DVDs will traditionally be posted to them at the start of their studies.

• Students can use native e-readers to highlight and annotate text using the app, as well as interacting with tutors and fellow students online through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The Open University (OU) is the largest academic institution in the UK and is well-known for its flexible distance learning. Since it began in 1969, the OU has taught more than 1.8 million students and has more than 250,000 current students, including over 15,000 overseas.

New York

PARKING APP LAUNCHED IN NEW YORK CITY By Sumedha Jalote | 10 April 2013

Two pilot programmes were launched in New York City to allow drivers to pay parking meter fees through a mobile app, and locate available parking spots in real-time through a mobile map.

• The first app, called PayByPhone, allows motorists to pay for metered parking using a credit card. Online and telephone payments are available for motorists who don’t own smartphones. The service will even send an email or text message warning motorists when their paid time is up, allowing them to pay for additional time easily and avoid being fined. Interested drivers in New York City can sign up for the service on the PayByPhone website, registering their license plate numbers and credit card information on encrypted servers. The app is available for free for Android, iOS and BlackBerry smartphones.

• The second pilot project by the New York City Department of Transportation uses sensors embedded in the roads to generate a map displaying real-time availability of parking spaces. The map can be viewed online on the DOT website, and will be added to a smartphone app later this year. “Parking is easier and more convenient when you know where to look for a space, and when you can pay with a click instead of fumbling for change,” “Innovative technologies like these can help make one of the basic facts of city life a little easier while making our streets and commercial districts even more accessible.”

China CITIZEN GRIEVANCE PORTAL LAUNCHED IN CHINA

By Sumedha Jalote | 8 July 2013

The Government of China launched a website to allow citizens to ‘petition’ the government with their grievances online, instead of in person

• The website, hosted by the State Bureau for Letters and Calls, allows citizens to inform the government about their problems, including complaints against government departments or officials. Citizens have so far been required to physically visit Beijing with their petitions.

• The website intends to increase convenience and lower costs for citizens, allowing the government to connect with them and solve problems. Citizens can also track the status of their petition online through the website.

Cambodia The Open Institute, an NGO in Cambodia, launched the uses crowdsourcing to show instances of

gender-based violence in the country on a map

• The online mapping tool allows users to view information on gender-based violence on a map of Cambodia, showing areas with instances of reports of violence, or other information such as the release of a survey on gender-based violence. Users can also submit their own reports of violence instances or related information to be added to the mapping tool.

• The Open Institute works to ensure that the benefits of technology in social and economic advancement are leveraged in Cambodia, focusing on areas such as e-learning and women empowerment. “

The organisation launched the ‘Ushadidi mapping tool’to increase public awareness around gender-based violence and get the people involved in its elimination. “The Ushahidi mapping tool offers both government officials and key stakeholders the opportunity to track incidences of gender based violence online in order to increase awareness and work toward immediate intervention and prevention methods”

ONLINE TOOL MAPPING GENDER VIOLENCE LAUNCHED IN CAMBODIA By Sumedha Jalote | 16 July 2013

India

• The Ministry of Agriculture launched in India the ‘Kisaan SMS portal’ wherein the ministry will send information, advisories, and alerts to the cell phones of farmers through SMS. This will include alerts such as weather forecasts and disease or pest outbreaks, as well as general information on best practices, such as selecting the right crop variety for higher productivity.

• The advisories will also include results of recent soil tests, selection of fertilisers and the correct dosage, and information on government programmes that farmers can participate in.

• Receiving this information quickly and directly will help farmers make informed decisions about different aspects of their profession, such as crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, and marketing of products. The ministry aims to reach more than 120 million farmers through this service.

INFO PORTAL FOR FARMERS TO BE LAUNCHED IN INDIA

By Sumedha Jalote | 12 July 2013

New Zealand

Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) launched its first smartphone application this month to give travellers information on the go

• The app, named “Essential New Zealand”, offers free advice to tourists in New Zealand. “Essential New Zealand aims to make it easier for visitors to connect with tourism experiences while travelling through the country, regardless of where they are or what they are doing”.

• The app, which works offline for tourists without internet access, offers information on more than 1150 activities and travel experiences in New Zealand, including a list of the top 10 most popular activities, details about must-do activities in 26 regions, locations and contact information for New Zealand’s official visitor information centres, and map locations and pricing details for different activities.

• Travellers can save their desired activities into ‘Your Trip’, a tool that allows them to plan out their journey within the app, and share their trips and favourite activities with friends and family

APP FOR TOURISTS LAUNCHED IN NEW ZEALAND By Sumedha Jalote | 17 July 2013

Nigerians use phones to detect fake drugs

Customers send text message to drug enforcement agency and get reply confirming medicine's authenticity.

Mobile phones are being used to detect fake medicine sold in Nigeria.

Customers send a text message to the country’s drug enforcement agency

and get a reply conforming the medicine’s authenticity.

Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege reports from Lagos

South Korea FREE WI-FI TO BE EXTENDED IN SOUTH KOREA By Sumedha Jalote | 19 July 2013

The Ministry of Science, ICT and future Planning in South Korea announced its plans to provide more wireless internet hotspots across the country

• Currently, 2000 public wireless zones are in operation. The Ministry will increase this number to 12,000 by 2017, beginning soon. Wi-fi infrastructure will be installed at 6000 spots such as public health centres, community centres, and welfare institutes from now until 2015.

• Remote areas of the country too will be provided with free public wifi. The government is also planning to open up 4000 locations with private wi-fi provided by mobile carriers, such as public libraries or museums, to the public.

• People can access wireless internet at the public zones by selecting the wireless network and logging in through a user authentication system operated by the country’s three mobile carriers. User authentication will be renewed every one hour to prevent those not using wifi from blocking other users.

• While the demand and use of wifi on mobile devices is increasing throughout the country, 53 per cent of the available public wifi hotspots are currently located in Seoul