This forum is a sequel to the Roundtable Forum entitled “Citizen Centric Benefits of ICT” held in February 2003, at the Philippine World Trade Center.

Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid’s welcome remarks emphasized the opportunity of this Roundtable discussion to address policy issues that would enable the country to move into the Knowledge society.

To keynote the discussion, Secretary Cerge Remonde, Head of the Government Media Group stressed the point that amidst current fiscal crisis in the country, it is a challenge to show that ICT is a possibility, in response to President Macapagal-Arroyo’s priority to build infrastructure of broadband network to allow Filipinos to participate in the information society.

Usec. Virgilio Pena
CICT Chairperson

The policy environment of ICT was presented by Chairman Virgilio Peña of the Commission on Information & Communication Technology (CICT). The strategic directions taken are aimed at developing an e-enabled society, these are:

• To provide affordable access to internet to all segments of the population,
  only 3% is connected;

• To ensure capability-building of users through education and instilling a mindset;
  
• To develop a legal and regulatory environment,
  reforms have to be instituted to allow participation of the private sector as ICT has been privatized;
  
• The government should ensure a market driven policy to promote the country as an investment location, a world-class ICT services provider (decentralize opportunities to the regions to provide employment wherein the LGUs play a role); and
  
• To enhance LGUs’ capabilities to deliver e-services to stakeholders.

The main proposition of the legislative agenda is to create a Department of ICT.

Establish a Convergence Law for information and communication broadcast, and look into cyber security law.

In terms of connectivity, strategies have been focused on a number of areas:

• One is to create community access points in all barangays called Community e-Centers which will be managed and operated by local community;
  
• The deployment of a broadband network is also a concern (Wireline, Wi-Fi / Wi-Max, or satellite), wherein centers should be built first before such technology is determined;
  
• · Applications are to be developed as citizen centric-focused, towards e-government: i.e. the delivery of local government services.

As to providing nationwide digital infrastructure, the present target is to equip all public high schools with computer labs (1500) by December 2005, 80% of all high schools and central elementary schools by December 2008, and all high schools and 20% of elementary schools by December 2010.

Mr. Timoteo Diaz de Rivera
Director General, NCC

The director-general of the National Computer Center (NCC) said it is with the e-governance vision to “make it easier, faster and more transparent to deal with government from the viewpoint of business as well as citizens » that the National ICT Programs are carried out.

At present, the ITECC/CICT E-Government Implementation Committee is focused on the following major initiatives for e-government: the review and update of the Government Information Systems Plan (GISP); the rationalization of existing e-government systems and the identification of mission-critical government frontline services that must be immediately pushed for implementation; the management of the e-Government Fund so as to ensure the allocation of e-government funding on mission-critical e-government projects.

More than majority of the government offices located in the central office has telephone, internet access and email telecommunication facilities: 74% of government offices and agencies have existing linkages, while the rest have plans of having linkages; 99.5% have homepages; and 54% provide e-services to the public.

One of the major breakthroughs of the national program is the establishment of an e-government fund for cross-agency, mission-critical and high impact projects. Examples of endorsed projects are the upgrade of computerization of the BIR, and the development of a portal for e-governance in the Civil Service Corps.

The creation of the Commission on ICT is another achievement. It is a national policy planning, coordinating, implementing and regulating administrative entity that promotes, develops and regulates IT development in the Philippines.
Director-general Diaz de Rivera concluded his talk on the future e-government plans, which is to push for the institutionalization of the e-government fund as an annual funding source for the government ICT projects to be managed by the CICT.

The e-LGU has been the flagship project of the Department of Science and Technology, and the priority project of the e-government Program (SUPERGOV), explained Mrs. Maria Teresa Magadia-Camba, director of the Field Operations Office at the NCC.

Gov. Josefina Dela Cruz
Bulacan Provincial Governor

Provincial Governor Josefina Dela Cruz, presented the experiences of their Provincial Information Management System Office (PITO).

The major systems developed by local IT expertise are: the Personnel Management Information System (PMIS) and the Real Property Tax Information System (RPTIS). Also developed are the Bulacan Satellite-Based Geographic Information System (SBGIS) and the Financial Management Information System (FMIS) and the District Hospital Information System (DHIS)

Introduction of these changes in information management necessitated a number of adjustments in terms mainly of personnel training and education of mindset.

As a whole, computerization has effected considerable improvement in reducing timeframe of processing and preparation of data (several days to only a few hours, and even few minutes to few seconds); as well as cutting on labor cost in some cases.

It has gained savings to the Provincial Government: for 1999 alone, $ 122,000 was saved when MIS office outputs and assistance to other LGUs are cost out. And this amount is more than enough to cover the salaries of the MIS Department staff in a year.

The city government's next effort has been to build personnel capability in all departments.

Negotiations are underway to establish a call center in the city hall and outside. It encourages computer-based institutions and service-oriented businesses to locate in the city as it is positioning itself to be a learning center.

The city’s website (www.marikina.gov.ph) is a tool in communicating with the community, besides providing information on services delivered by them. There are downloadable forms for the services offered and the constituents are now able to pay taxes online.

Feedback from the citizens is made possible through the use of text messaging to the mayor.

A health service program for children through the use of a health card connected to the city government’s office has been implemented. This can provide information on the incidence of sicknesses.

A Privilege card system is also proposed to the constituents. This is in relation to a discount in real property tax payment incentive.

Antipolo City Administrator representing Mayor Angelito Gatlabayan, elaborated on the benefits reaped from the integration of the Geographical Information System to other databases and its impact on planning, revenue generation and good governance,

The first project completed (1999) was the computerization of the real property tax administration (RPTA). Tax collection doubled with the ability to identify delinquent accounts, mostly from non-resident real property owners.

The second project established was the Business Permits and Licenses system.

By 2001 the Geographical Information System (GIS) was set up. This digital database of maps supports mainly the RPTA and BPLS programs. It has become a reliable tool in identification and inventory of real properties, streets, other facilities (providing land, building, business information).

Antipolo City has acquired an information kiosk (named e-Mamamayan). It is an interactive, electronic kiosk that allows self-service online access for the community to the city's resources and services. It is composed of a touch screen and video display.

The Program Manager for the Quezon City Government Information System and Asssistant Secretary to the Mayor spoke of how the efforts towards effective e-governance in Quezon City (Metro Manila) started with the necessity of computerizing several operations of the city government and spinning off its web services.

Objective was to provide a system-based operations where standard operating procedures are to be followed for every transaction. Thus the Financial Management Information System was completed. It is primarily a program for income generation, budget monitoring and disbursement. By the end of 2004, the city’s system will be linked to the Commission on Audit’s system.

The tax profiles are done by the different departments of the city government (Property unit, Business, etc). The procedure has been standardized and the framework is the same for the Business Licenses & Permits module.

Unlike other LGUs, Quezon City government has its own ISP. This can help connect its 142 barangays to the main office.

For Wilfredo Prilles Jr. from (Bicol) Naga City’s i-Governance management team, Naga City’s i-Governance program seeks to bring the current partnership-driven model of governing in the city into the next stage, anchored on stronger participation at the level of individual citizens.

i-Governance Program tries to open wider avenues for participation of individuals in governing the city. How to do that is through two main components:

• One is the traditional mechanism of analog and paper-based tools
  
• · The second component is the digital or ICT media: the website of the city government (www.naga.gov.ph) and the TxtServe feature in the website that allows faster access throughout at lower cost, faster feedback generation and response time, and wider coverage.

The website has completed phase 3 of the UN-ASPAC standards and has entered phase 4. Placing online the budget of the city hall has made transparency in governance a reality. Also, the city has reduced the cost of procurement through online biddings and public offerings, arriving at a 15% average in estimated savings.

Dr. William Torres, President of Mosaic Communications Inc. speech focused on opportunities that spring out from the national strategies on the community e-center (CEC) program, and he urged people in the government to tell their counterpart in the private sector about these opportunities.

The community e-center program calls for the establishment of the following components on a nationwide scale:

• CEC in each barangay
  
• Broadband network (communication or distribution network) that connects the CECs among them;
  
• Components which are content and service providers

These contents are not to be set up by only a few companies (Globe, Smart, Digitel, Mozcom). There is an opportunity to involve Small and Medium Enterprises, who if not existing yet, should be set up in the local communities.

Wide reaching CECs cannot be put up unless organizations in the local community are also established. Building this infrastructure is in itself a business opportunity.

Drawing from the business model of his own company Mozcom, Dr. Torres described how Mozcom is an ISP with only four branches nationwide that services at least four dozen companies which in turn provide thousands of people with internet services. Translating this model to the CEC, one CEC can provide services to a lot of people in the community. If these CECs are in turn connected with each other, there will be much more people benefiting from this network.