House Committee on Information and Communications Technology chairperson and Camarines Sur 5th District Representative Migz Villafuerte has called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to work closely with local government units (LGUs) in implementing e-Government platforms nationwide.
His statement comes after the release of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the E-Governance Act (Republic Act 12254), which seeks to accelerate the country’s digital transformation and provide citizens with online access to government services.
“LGUs need to be on board the national e-Gov network at the soonest, given that this law’s newly-released IRR requires local governments, along with national government agencies and other state-run institutions, to adopt common digital standards, strengthen cybersecurity measures and re-engineer their processes for government services to be delivered online in a seamless, integrated, graft-free and citizen-centered manner,” Villafuerte said.
The law mandates LGUs to establish Electronic Local Government Unit (eLGU) portals. For those unable to build their own systems, the DICT will provide assistance.
LGUs with existing portals or those able to set up platforms within a year of RA 12254’s effectivity will be immediately connected to the national e-Gov network.
Villafuerte explained that the eLGU system will feature an Online Public Service Portal, serving as a help desk for information, assistance, and complaints related to frontline services.
To ensure sustainability, the E-Government Interoperability Fund (EIF) will be created under the DICT, sourced from donations, service fees, and Spectrum Users Fees currently allocated to the Free Public Internet Access Fund (FPIAF) under RA 10929.