Senator Bong Go, one of the authors and co-sponsors of Republic Act No. 12254 or the E-Governance Act, welcomed the law’s recent enactment, which institutionalizes the use of digital platforms to make government services more efficient and accessible to all Filipinos.
The law mandates the creation of a Unified E-Governance Project Management Office under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to oversee the integration of digital systems across government agencies. It also requires an updated E-Government Master Plan and the establishment of standards for data security and privacy.
Being one of the first to propose the measure, Go explained that the law aims to reduce red tape and make government transactions easier for ordinary citizens by bringing more services online.
“Mas magiging madali para sa mga kababayan natin ang pakikipagtransaksyon sa gobyerno kung mabilis at maayos ang mga sistema.”
“Mas magiging madali para sa mga kababayan natin ang pakikipagtransaksyon sa gobyerno kung mabilis at maayos ang mga sistema,” the veteran legislator said, emphasizing that modernization is critical to serving people better.
The law also directs agencies to strengthen free public internet access nationwide, particularly in far-flung communities, and to improve online portals of local government units. It includes provisions for enhancing digital literacy and for protecting critical information infrastructure from unauthorized access.
“Kailangan nating tiyakin na ang bawat sulok ng bansa, lalo na ang mga liblib na lugar, ay may pagkakataon ding makinabang sa teknolohiya.”
“Panahon na para ang serbisyo ng gobyerno ay nasa abot ng daliri ng bawat Pilipino,” the senator remarked. “Kailangan nating tiyakin na ang bawat sulok ng bansa, lalo na ang mga liblib na lugar, ay may pagkakataon ding makinabang sa teknolohiya.”
He pointed out that the E-Governance Act complements other efforts to make government more responsive to the public, from health services to social welfare programs.
“Ang mahalaga, mas mabilis na ang tulong at serbisyo ng gobyerno, at hindi na kailangang maglakbay nang malayo ang mga tao para lang mag-process ng mga dokumento,” Go added.
To ensure smooth implementation, the law requires privacy impact assessments and sets national standards for information security and protection of critical information infrastructure. Government entities are given the responsibility to maintain the autonomy and independence of their operations while adopting the unified digital framework.
“Ang modernisasyon ng ating mga proseso ay hindi lang para maging uso, kundi para masiguro na bawat Pilipino ay may patas na access sa serbisyo ng gobyerno,” he stressed. “Sa ganitong paraan, mas nagiging episyente at mas malinaw ang takbo ng pamahalaan para sa lahat.”
With the E-Governance Act now in place, Go underscored the need for continuous collaboration among agencies and local governments to fully realize the benefits of digital transformation.
“Kung sama-sama tayong kikilos, mas mapapabilis natin ang paghatid ng serbisyo at mas mapapalakas ang tiwala ng tao sa gobyerno,” he concluded.
