Cayetano-led E-Governance bill moves closer to Senate approval

The push to transform government services through digitalization, led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, is now just one step away from Senate approval after passing the Second Reading on Tuesday, January 21.

During the plenary session, Cayetano, the bill's sponsor, introduced his amendments to Senate Bill No. 2781, also known as the proposed "E-Governance Act," along with the changes proposed by Minority Leader Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

This development came less than a week after the bill passed the interpellation stage.

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.

This framework, to be spearheaded by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), will guide agencies on the technical and informational standards they need to adopt for seamless digital integration.

The framework will be based on a comprehensive master plan, which will be updated every three years to keep up with rapid technological advancements.

At the heart of the plan is a secure network called the "Integrated Government Network" (IGN), which will connect all government websites and applications and allow different agencies to share data more efficiently.

For ordinary Filipinos, these changes mean a smoother experience: no more long lines or switching between multiple apps to access government services.

Cayetano, who chairs the Committee on Science and Technology, had earlier emphasized the importance of leveraging technology for nation-building.

"It is not per se the solution to all of our problems, but it is a tool that, if used effectively and assigned properly to various agencies, can address many of our challenges today," he said during last week's plenary debate on the bill.

He highlighted the lack of interoperability as one of the main issues with existing government digital platforms, a problem the E-Governance Act aims to solve.

"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," he said.

The bill has received support from other senators, including Minority Floor Leader Pimentel, who thanked Cayetano for championing the proposal.

"The times have changed. Talagang very critical na po itong DICT," Pimentel said.

The bill is now set to be approved on Third and Final Reading in upcoming sessions.

E-Governance bill ni Cayetano, malapit nang maaprubahan sa Senado

Isang hakbang na lang ang kailangan para maaprubahan sa Senado ang panukalang batas na naglalayong gawing digital ang mga proseso at serbisyo ng gobyerno matapos nitong pumasa sa Second Reading nitong Martes.

Sa plenary session nitong January 21, ipinresenta ng sponsor na panukala na si Senador Alan Peter Cayetano ang kanyang amendments para sa Senate Bill No. 2781 o ang 'E-Governance Act.'

Kasabay nito ang amendments rin mula kina Minority Floor Leader Senator Aquilino Pimentel III at Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

Umusad ang panukalang batas wala pang isang linggo matapos nitong pumasa sa period of interpellation.

Layunin ng E-Governance Act na atasan ang lahat ng ahensya at opisina ng gobyerno na maging bahagi ng iisang digital system.

Sa ilalim nito, magbabalangkas ang Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) ng isang national framework na magiging gabay ng lahat ng ahensya tungkol sa technical at informational standards na kailangan para maging digitally integrated sila.

Ibabatay ang framework na ito sa isang komprehensibong master plan na ia-update kada tatlong taon upang makasabay sa mabilis na pag-unlad ng teknolohiya.

Bahagi ng plano ay ang pagbuo sa isang "regulated, secure, and robust" na network na tatawing "Integrated Government Network" o IGN, kung saan itutugon ang lahat ng digital platform ng gobyerno para maging konektado ang mga ito sa isa't isa.

Sa pamamagitan nito ay magiging madali ang pag-access at palitan ng mga datos at impormasyon sa pagitan ng lahat ng opisina ng gobyerno.

Layunin ng lahat ng ito na pasimplehin ang kabuuang experience ng Pilipino sa pakikipagtransaksyon sa gobyerno: wala nang mahabang linya o paglipat sa iba't ibang app para ma-access ang mga serbisyo ng gobyerno.

Nauna nang binigyang diin ni Cayetano, na chairperson ng Committee on Science and Technology, ang kahalagahan ng paggamit ng teknolohiya para sa nation-building.

"It is not per se the solution to all of our problems, but it is a tool that, if used effectively and assigned properly to various agencies, can address many of our challenges today," wika niya sa ginanap na plenary debate noong nakaraang linggo.

Punto niya, pangunahing isyu sa mga kasalukuyang digital platforms ng gobyerno ay hindi interoperable ang mga ito, isang hamon na masosolusyunan ng E-Governance Act.

"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," aniya.

Nagpahayag naman ng suporta sa panukala ang iba pang mga senador, kabilang si Minority Leader Pimentel na nagpasalamat kay Cayetano sa pagsulong nito.

"The times have changed. Talagang very critical na po itong DICT," pahayag ni Pimentel noong nakaraang linggo.

Nakatakdang aprubahan ang panukalang batas sa Ikatlo at Huling Pagbasa sa mga darating na sesyon.