Officers and members of the Stratbase ADR Institute, panelists, special guests, and all the participants of the Pilipinas Conference 2022, a pleasant morning to all of you.
On the 7th staging of the Pilipinas Conference this year, Stratbase ADR Institute and Democracy Watch Philippines is taking on an important topic critical to our post-pandemic recovery—Digitalization. This is crucial as greater collaboration and innovation on public service delivery is even more pronounced now as the public demands for a more responsive government—quick to deliver as we cushion the unprecedented impacts of the pandemic.
In 2022, our ranking in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness improved two places higher from 58th to 56th out of 63 countries. However, we remain behind compared to our peers in the Asia-Pacific with a score of 52.81 out of 100. This dictates the need for our country to fully embrace and transition to digitalization, especially on government processes and business models.[1]
But how exactly do we optimize digitalization to effectively execute the principles of good governance; strengthen policy-making and service delivery; and achieve socio-economic goals?
Allow me to share with you our three strategic priorities to address the existing gaps on open and inclusive governance by leveraging on digital interventions:
First, by Energizing Citizen Participation in Governance.
Our efforts to energize citizen participation in governance has paid off, evident with our improved score in public participation in the Open Budget Survey. In 2019, we scored 31 out of a hundred. In 2021, it increased to 35 out of a hundred, making us number one in Southeast Asia. Note that the global average for public participation is at 14 points.
We intend to further energize this through our efforts in the DBM and in the Philippine Open Government Partnership.
In particular, the DBM is in the process of establishing a CSO Desk to serve as the focal unit for all concerns related to public participation in the budget process, among others. The DBM CSO Desk will be one of the avenues in providing capacity-building activities for CSOs to enable a more meaningful engagement. We target to roll this out by year-end.
I am also glad to share with you that we are in the process of crafting the 6th National Action Plan under the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) initiative. Central to the development of the plan is to amplify collaboration between the non-government sector and the government agencies in the design, implementation, and monitoring of government programs.
Hence, the PH-OGP will also focus on harnessing technologies that will help build the capacity of CSOs to properly monitor and evaluate national commitments.
Some of our PH-OGP success stories on opening spaces for citizen participation in the recently concluded action plan includes the introduction of e-Participation tools through DICT’s National Government Portal.
We have also engaged and empowered citizens via the 8888 Citizens Complaint Center.
DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Virtual Operating Center also improved our mechanisms for immediate and effective disaster response.
In addition, the Citizen Participatory Audit (CPA) has been institutionalized to enable citizens to participate in the audit process as accountability partners of the government.
Second, Investing in Innovations to Close the Digital Governance Gap.
The 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda underscores our direction to achieve efficiency across the government and enhance the country's digital economy. To enable this, we should invest in digitalization and innovation now.
In our ever-evolving digital society, we acknowledge that inclusivity remains to be a challenge. To achieve equitable participation in the digital society and bridge the widening digital divide, the government must make meaningful digital opportunities available for all—beyond basic connectivity.[2]
Our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself highlighted in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) the need to optimize technological innovations to improve public service delivery coupled by enhancing universal connectivity. The use of technologies by the government enables the development of people-centric and demand-driven policies.
By investing in digitalization, we connect Filipinos to more opportunities. That is why in our proposed FY 2023 budget, Php 12.47 billion will be provided for ICT and digitalization programs and projects of the government.
Of that total, we have allocated Php 4.72 billion for the ICT Systems and Infostructure Development, Management, and Advisory Program of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) that shall connect government departments and improve its accessibility, and improve overall internet speed and affordability, while another Php 2.06 billion for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) shall support the accurate and timely provision of social services.
In addition, the Php 3.56 billion budget for DOF and its attached agencies including BIR and BOC also highlights the focus of our digitalization efforts towards the improvement of revenue collection.
Third, Harnessing an Agile Government.
To improve bureaucratic efficiency, the DBM advocates digitalization throughout the Public Financial Management process.
Together with the Department of Finance, Bureau of the Treasury, and Commission on Audit, we shall fast track the roll-out of the Budget and Treasury Management System or BTMS. This will improve our data governance by generating real-time, accurate and vital financial information which will aid government managers to make timely and data-driven decisions.
This will result in better cash management, effective financial control, accountability, and oversight with financial management systems integration across the bureaucracy.
I am also delighted to share with you that we are embarking on digital transformation for the government's procurement process to enable a more efficient and transparent public procurement.
All these initiatives redound to making our public financial management system work for the people by strengthening the integrity of our systems, diminishing human discretion in government transactions, and strengthening inter-agency coordination.
We will also work with Congress towards the enactment of the PBBM Governance Bill—we just coined the term yesterday—which shall facilitate the development and implementation of the Integrated Financial Management Information System and the gradual implementation of the Cash Budgeting System or CBS.
Our main consideration across these strategic priorities is to leverage on digital transformation to achieve open, inclusive, and sustainable governance.
While we recognize that it is a challenging road ahead, we are also leveraging on the strong partnership we have with the CSOs and the private sector in this pursuit.
To this end, we shall deliver effective and efficient public services; provide spaces to listen and to respond to the issues we face; and put the interest and welfare of the Filipino people at the center of its governance.
We invite you on this journey as we collaborate for an innovative, open, and inclusive government.
Mabuhay po tayong lahat! Assalamu alaikum.
[1]https://www.dbm.gov.ph/index.
[2] United Nations e-Governance Survey
