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Cyber
Governance and Online Research
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) in the Philippines
once again receives a boost
with two seminars on ICT recently
conducted by the Asian Institute
of Journalism ands Communication.
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The
Philippine Communication
Centrum Foundation, a
UNESCO Project, organized
the E- Local Governance:
New Technology for Public
Service in Local Governance
seminar and was attended
by members of the local
government units (LGUs),
the media and business
sectors. |
This seminar
was a sequel to the Roundtable
Forum entitled “Citizen
Centric Benefits of ICT”
held in February 2003, at the
Philippine World Trade Center.
ICT advocates including the
head of the Government Media
group, Secretary Cerge Remonde,
Chairman for the Information
and Communication Technology
Commission, Undersecretary Virgilio
Peña and National Computer
Center Director General Maria
Teresa Camba spoke on ICT and
its advantages and benefits.
Representatives from various
cities and municipalities spoke
to the participants on their
experience and objectives related
with the e-local governance
program set up by the government.
Utilizing the power of the Internet,
these local government units
or LGUs were able to reach out
to their constituents by offering
online information on various
topics such as the history of
the municipality or city, process
for filing certain forms and
documents or offering information
on the local officials and how
to contact them for queries.
A major focus of the e-local
governance website was to allow
those connected to the Internet
access to greater sources of
information and allow them to
participate in the building
or improving their community
through feedback. Many of the
websites also offered feedback
through SMS (short message system)
or “texting” via
mobile phones. The websites
were also visually impressive
– utilizing programs such
as Flash animation and other
visual programs that allowed
for interaction by the viewer.
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of the websites that were
featured were those of Marikina,
Quezon City, Antipolo, Naga
and Bulacan. The mayor of
Marikina said that the main
objective of the city’s
e-governance program is
the automation of business
transaction processes to
promote a business- friendly
environment. The city’s
website (www.marikina.gov.ph)
is a tool to communicate
with the community, besides
providing information and
services. Bulacan
Governor Josefina Dela Cruz
presented the experiences
of the province in establishing
their Provincial
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Information
Management Systems Office (PITO).
The major systems developed
for Bulacan, facilitate among
others, such concerns involving
personnel management, financial
management, real estates tax,
geographic information and health.
Representatives from Naga, Antipolo
and Quezon City also showcased
their e-local website achievements
during the seminar. At the end
of the seminar the participants
were asked to vote for the best
e-local government website.
From a pre-selected list and
criteria that was presented
to them by the organizers, the
participants were given one
week to view the list of candidate
websites and evaluate them.
The winners for the Best E-Local
Government Website (City and
Municipality) were Naga
and the municipality of Gerona.
Also jointly organized by the
Philippine Communication Centrum
Foundation and the Asian Institute
of Journalism and Communication
was The E-Research seminar-
workshop. Mr. Chin Wong, a recent
recipient of the prestigious
ICT Journalist Awards and faculty
member of the Ateneo University
and Alecks Pabico, website manager
of the Philippine Center for
Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)
gave the presentations. The
participants who consisted of
researchers and media reporters
learned the history of the Internet,
its various basic usage and
how to best utilize the various
search engines available on
the Internet. They also learned
how to cross validate information
for currency and authenticity.
The resource persons also gave
them exercises to apply the
knowledge and skills learned.
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