DICT’s goal to create ‘citizen centered’ platforms | Business and Politics - video Dailymotion

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DICT’s goal to create ‘citizen centered’ platforms | Business and Politics  The goal of digitalization in the government is to improve the ease of doing business, says David Almirol, undersecretary of the  Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net  Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion  Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #TheManilaTimes

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00:00 These two things are just the latest of the developments, right?

00:04 But as I understand it, DICT is working on a number of things.

00:08 Can you share what else is in the pipeline?

00:10 What else people might expect from the DICT?

00:15 Well, before maybe discussing the pipeline,

00:18 because we work with a lot of government agencies,

00:21 so we successfully implemented a lot of things, Klink.

00:24 Just to give you one of our accomplishments last year,

00:27 we have the e-travel.

00:29 So e-travel in the past-

00:30 Is it the e-visas?

00:32 That's another one.

00:33 That's another one.

00:35 The e-travel, if you remember,

00:36 every time you go to the airport,

00:38 you have to fill up a lot of forms.

00:39 Oh, yes.

00:40 Yes, and you have to fill up using a website.

00:42 From the quarantine and the-

00:44 Yes.

00:45 So imagine you need to use around five to six systems.

00:48 You know, the immigration arrival card,

00:51 the customs form,

00:54 the seaport form, local airport form,

00:57 and not to mention you need to go to a certain website

00:59 for you to declare your health condition.

01:01 Right.

01:01 The One Health Pass.

01:02 Right.

01:03 We're able to combine them in a single system.

01:05 Okay.

01:05 Integrated to the Bureau of Immigration.

01:07 Okay.

01:07 So now you can see the seamless process now

01:11 in the Bureau of Immigration

01:12 because of the e-travel platform.

01:15 Also, we're able also to integrate e-health

01:19 in the E-GOV app.

01:20 In fact, if you use the E-GOV app,

01:21 you're able to see now the nearest hospitals,

01:24 the nearest clinics,

01:25 and malasakit centers.

01:26 Okay.

01:27 Yeah. So those are the things that we're able to accomplish.

01:29 And we also work with Dole, with DASDA,

01:33 Right.

01:33 and also CHED.

01:34 Right.

01:35 to implement also the first-time job seeker system.

01:39 That's why you can even build your resume now

01:41 inside the E-GOV PH app.

01:42 I see.

01:43 So it's like, you know, innovation is not just automating something.

01:46 Right.

01:46 You need to put a lot of relevance, you know,

01:49 Sure.

01:49 in the system.

01:50 So not to mention, we're able to integrate also the tourism

01:55 and we will be integrating more of their systems

01:58 because they are building more systems

02:00 Right.

02:00 by the Department of Tourism.

02:03 And the plan is to integrate their solutions as well.

02:05 So if you try to look at the situation of the ICT,

02:08 so we look for innovation,

02:10 Right.

02:10 coming from different agencies.

02:12 Right.

02:12 And then we integrate them in a single platform.

02:15 I see.

02:15 But we also build new things, you know.

02:17 Okay.

02:18 So example for pill health.

02:19 Okay.

02:20 And GSIS.

02:21 So we are the one who, together with our IT team,

02:25 were able to co-develop and build the new pill health system.

02:29 Integrated also to the EGOV app.

02:31 Okay.

02:31 So for the first time, if you use the EGOV app,

02:33 you're able to see your contributions.

02:35 You're able to see your premiums, including GSIS.

02:39 Okay.

02:39 You'll be able to see your loans or your pension.

02:42 Right.

02:43 You know, for the first time in a single operating system.

02:46 Right.

02:47 Now, apologies, I haven't seen these apps,

02:48 but I presume that these are all beyond the beta stage already, right?

02:53 Yes.

02:53 They're live.

02:57 Has it been easy for, you know, can you give us some insight

03:02 on how easy or how difficult this was to develop, you know,

03:06 working with, as you said, different government agencies?

03:11 And maybe what has been the mandate of the president?

03:14 You know, there are so many things that need to be digitalized

03:18 to make e-government a reality.

03:20 But I'm sure you guys are prioritizing certain things, right?

03:24 As you said, in phases or whatever.

03:26 So what's the marching order from the top?

03:29 It wasn't easy.

03:30 Yeah.

03:31 There's a direct instruction to us to digitalize, digitalize, digitalize.

03:35 So we need to make sure that to leverage whatever technology we have.

03:41 Right.

03:41 To create more citizen-centric platforms.

03:44 Right.

03:44 To make sure that we cut these long lines,

03:48 very complex processes of the government,

03:51 and a lot of problems of possible red tapes, you know,

03:53 because, you know, complex things, you know,

03:56 results to a lot of things, right?

03:58 Right.

03:58 And the instruction to us is to, especially our secretary,

04:02 he instructed us to focus on the most doable and most implementable ones first.

04:06 Right.

04:07 That's why...

04:07 And low-hanging fruits.

04:08 Low-hanging fruits first.

04:09 So, and we're able to do that in a very short period of time.

04:13 But it's not easy.

04:14 Yeah.

04:14 I think, you know, so...

04:15 Well, you mentioned earlier that you need resources, manpower in particular.

04:20 Do you have what you need?

04:22 Not enough for the moment.

04:23 Okay.

04:24 So we...

04:24 So, you know, what does DICT,

04:27 because we're going to be seeing the reopening of Congress right after SONA.

04:32 What is, what does the DICT need,

04:35 in particular with, you know,

04:37 realizing the objectives of your project, which is e-government?

04:41 Well, I think we need to capacitate DICT more in terms of skill sets.

04:46 Okay.

04:46 Maybe the biggest challenge right now,

04:48 especially in the e-government office, is the salary of our people.

04:52 Okay.

04:53 It's not exciting to join the government, Clint.

04:54 Okay.

04:55 You know, and how could we bring more talents,

04:58 more highly skilled programmers, analysts, programmers, hard coders,

05:04 if the salary is not enticing to them?

05:06 Sure.

05:06 That's why we're really hoping that the e-governance act will be approved soon.

05:11 It's a bill being reviewed now in the Senate.

05:15 Okay.

05:16 And part of the provision there is to increase the salary of the IT people.

05:20 I see.

05:21 In the entirety of the government.

05:23 Sure.

05:23 So hopefully, one of the challenges also, of course,

05:27 the collaboration between agencies, you know.

05:29 Right.

05:29 Because we need to understand also what they have.

05:31 Right.

05:32 Because we cannot just do something without, you know,

05:36 being familiarized of what they have.

05:37 Sure.

05:38 So those are the things that we are in the learning stage, you know.

05:41 How could we make sure that we're able to assist them

05:43 in terms of innovation and technology?

05:45 Yeah.

05:46 So give us the broad strokes on that bill that you said that's in the Senate now.

05:52 What are the key provisions in addition to maybe adjusting the salary grades

05:57 of the workers in the government's ICT workers?

06:02 I think it's more on the interoperability.

06:05 Okay.

06:05 Because the government agency are quite, if I may say, like siloed.

06:09 Right.

06:09 Siloed.

06:10 And the process are not only decentralized, but a lot of repetitive processes.

06:17 You know, you have to enter your, if you go to certain agency,

06:20 you have to give your first name, your last name, your middle name.

06:22 Right.

06:22 Then you give, you need to give the same information to other agency.

06:26 And imagine the expenses, you know.

06:28 Right.

06:28 Imagine the servers, the cloud services.

06:31 Right.

06:31 Maintenance, et cetera, et cetera.

06:33 So you can see not only it's not cost effective anymore, but it's not integratable.

06:40 Okay.

06:40 So meaning that the bill will fortify the mandate of the ICT

06:46 to make sure that other agencies will really use us.

06:49 You know, we're not even helping them.

06:51 They're actually helping themselves if they integrate with these single operating systems

06:56 that we are proposing.

06:58 So how are you going to go about that?

07:00 So, because is there going to be a different coordinating body

07:05 to bring all of these stakeholders together?

07:07 Or are you simply that law will mandate the different departments say,

07:12 you have to cooperate with the ICT and open up your system so you can work together.

07:19 How is it going to play out?

07:21 Actually, not even mandate them to do it because they will see that bandage.

07:25 What's the proposal in the law?

07:26 The proposal is they still maintain their own.

07:29 You know, so we're not the one maintaining this.

07:31 You're not interfering.

07:33 No.

07:34 So example for right now, the example, the ego super app,

07:38 if you go to SSS or pill health or just IES, we don't have their data.

07:43 Right.

07:43 They're the one managing their data.

07:45 Right.

07:45 They're the one doing their own cybersecurity, data privacy, you know,

07:50 but in terms of customer or Filipino facing.

07:54 Right.

07:54 So we have a single operating system.

07:56 I see.

07:56 So that Filipino don't need to go to so many websites or so many systems

08:00 or they need to fall in line to their offices.

08:02 Right.

08:03 So that is the empowerment structure of the ego bill.

08:07 And hopefully it will be approved soon.

08:08 Right.

08:09 So you said it's in the Senate.

08:11 Do you remember at what stage it is in the process?

08:14 Is it on first reading, second reading or whatever?

08:17 We attended two sessions already.

08:21 Yeah.

08:21 Two sessions already.

08:22 Who's the principal sponsor?

08:23 Senator Cagayatano.

08:25 I see.

08:26 Which one?

08:27 The brother or the sister?

08:29 The brother.

08:29 Alan Peter.

08:30 Alan, yeah.

08:31 Alan Peter.

08:32 All right.

08:32 And then is there a counterpart bill already in the House or are you working on that still?

08:37 It's done already.

08:38 So it's done in the House.

08:39 In the House.

08:40 So we've done on this third reading.

08:42 That's why it's in Senate now.

08:43 Okay.

08:44 And then what is the timetable?

08:45 Do you have it passed within the year or next year or what do you hope to happen?

08:50 We're hoping that it can be passed this year because

08:54 I can see the issues right now in terms of innovation.

08:58 Since I'm there already.

09:01 I think the missing piece there is government agencies, we need more IT people inside the

09:10 government.

09:10 Without IT people, we will be somehow run by contractors only.

09:16 Sure.

09:17 Somehow it's not the government is actually doing the innovation.

09:21 I was going to say you were CEO of a company.

09:25 How difficult is that with government?

09:28 You said salary is one thing, right?

09:30 But looking at it from your background as a CEO in the private sector, how can government,

09:36 besides the salary, is there something else that they should be looking at maybe to entice

09:41 more talented people in the IT sector to maybe consider public service?

09:47 Yeah.

09:47 I think we need also to come up with an upscaling activities.

09:51 We need to upscale the existing government IT stuff because we have a lot of good people

09:58 in the government, especially the old ones that are there.

10:01 So start there, right?

10:02 Start there.

10:03 You need to upscale them because even they're so good maybe 10 years ago.

10:07 Right.

10:07 But since there was no technology evolving.

10:10 Very fast.

10:11 Very fast.

10:12 And if we're not going to upscale them, so they will be implementing old systems.

10:16 There will be no innovation.

10:20 They are clinging to their own legacy systems.

10:22 Right.

10:23 Sometimes because they don't have choice.

10:25 Sure.

10:26 There was no training, seminars, and there was no even budget to upscale them.

10:33 So the problem is sometimes they beautify the facing, just the interface.

10:39 But at the back, if you try to look at it, you can find a lot of legacy old systems.

10:44 Right.

10:45 Right?

10:45 So that is not futuristic.

10:46 Yeah.

10:47 It will collapse soon, right?

10:49 Yeah.

10:49 That's why we are educating them that we don't have choice but to redo the foundation.

10:55 Yeah.

10:56 So that they can move and have more innovation.

10:59 Yeah.

10:59 Now, what are some of the concerns here?

11:02 Because there are some parts of the Philippines that either have poor connectivity, right?

11:08 Or some areas that have no electricity, right?

11:11 So is that a concern at the moment?

11:17 Or where does that fall in your plan, right?

11:22 To roll out these programs.

11:25 So I'm thinking you're going to start with the major cities, right?

11:28 That have all of the components to run it.

11:32 But eventually, in five years, you need to reach, as you said, 100% of all the LGUs, right?

11:38 So what's the plan to maybe increase electrification and connectivity in these remote areas?

11:44 Our office for connectivity is not under me but under USEC Nuestro.

11:49 But they are doing a lot of things now.

11:51 So actually, their priority are the GIDA sites.

11:55 These are the geographic isolated areas in the Philippines.

11:59 Because these are the areas that they really need connectivity.

12:01 Right.

12:02 They need this for e-learning.

12:03 They need this to communicate.

12:05 So they are implementing thousands of free Wi-Fi areas,

12:12 including completing also the national broadband plans as well.

12:16 So connectivity is very important.

12:19 Although, on record, we are the number one social media users.

12:23 We have 85 million social media users.

12:26 So meaning around maybe 20% or 15%.

12:29 Maybe those are the areas that don't have connectivity.

12:33 But at least the 85% or 90% are able now to enjoy the ease of doing business through online platforms.

12:40 Right.

12:41 I'd like to ask questions about that.

12:42 We'll just have to take a quick break.

12:44 You're watching Business and Politics.

12:46 We're talking to USEC David Almiro.

12:48 We'll be right back.

12:49 [Business and Politics]

DICT’s goal to create ‘citizen centered’ platforms | Business and Politics

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