President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is urging all government offices nationwide to recognize and accept digital documents as part of a broader initiative to modernize public services.
In a vlog released Sunday, Marcos emphasized that the digitization program can only succeed if agencies integrate digital records into their daily workflows.
The President highlighted the Philippine Statistics Authority’s new e-Certificate service, which allows citizens to request digital copies of civil registry documents like birth and marriage certificates.
“Ang mahalagang bahagi rin dito ay dapat i-recognize o dapat tanggapin ang mga digital document ng lahat ng opisina sa ating bansa. Dapat itong kilalanin ng bawat government office upang maging kapaki-pakinabang ito,” Marcos said.
He added that while digitization is key, some procedures may still require in-person verification to prevent fraud.
“Pero having said that, kailangan natin intindihin na ang physical appearance sa ibang proseso ay hindi natin maisawalang-bahala para hindi tayo malusutan ng fraudulent birth registration,” he noted, citing past controversies, including cases linked to former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
Marcos stressed that fully integrating digital services across agencies is crucial to reducing bureaucratic red tape and making government services more efficient.