DAVAO CITY — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has alerted local governments and national agencies to be ready for digital disruption as it reiterated the need to implement information and communication technology (ICT) reforms for more efficient processing systems.
“Most of us have gone through baptism of fire in implementing digital systems,” DBM Undersecretary Lilia C. Guillermo said during the recent 10th National ICT Summit held late June in Davao City.
In this age of disruption, she said public institutions also need to prepare for technological challenges within changing “political realm” and “digital storms” in implementation.
She acknowledged that the public sector remains a laggard in adopting technology for improving the delivery of government services.
“Our country has become a world leader in the growth of ICT, particularly in the business process outsourcing, but our government is not yet effectively online,” said Ms. Guillermo, also the DBM chief information officer and president of the Chief Information Officers Forum, Inc.
She cited a study conducted by Microsoft Asia Digital Transformation Survey involving 1,494 business decision makers across Asia indicating that among the barriers to digital transformation are lack of leadership in the organization to execute technological changes, lack of digitally-skilled workforce, cyber threats and security concerns, the right government policies, and ICT infrastructure.
Nonetheless, Ms. Guillermo said the DBM remains steadfast in collaborating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to bring reforms in the bureaucracy.
“Digital transformation in government is upon us, ICT contributed substantially to the economy and the society in the Philippines today, and it has the potential to do so even more,” she said.
Digitization, she said, should not only mean establishing online services but also using technology to monitor government expenditures.
She further noted that the government needs an integrated infrastructure support to achieve digital transformation.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the City Information and Technology Center (CITC) is pursuing systems on online payment for occupational and business permits, internal business processes of the city government, and for the agriculture sector.
“We recognize that ICT is an integral tool in governance and economic development,” she said.
The CITC is also handling the information system on public utility drivers and vehicle profiling, which is used by the City Transport and Traffic Management Office to monitor, detect, prevent, and respond to possible threats in the city.
“This is an affirmation of how digital transformation can leverage government thrust such as public safety,” Ms. Carpio said.– Carmencita A. Carillo

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR