A Reflection Paper on

“e-Government in the Philippines:

Benchmarking Against Global Best Practices”

by
Emmanuel C. Lallana, PhD, Patricia J. Pascual & Edwin S. Soriano

Submitted by:
Juliean T. Akiatan MPA I

Submitted to:
Alex C. Roldan, Regional Director XI

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES

Master in Public Administration
PA 251 Local Governance and Voluntary Sector Management
February 2019
 “Nothing will have a greater impact on the way governments interact with citizens and each
other than their effective use of Technology.” ~ Bill Gates

This paper presents the growing demand in the application of Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) in governance. In the few decades, there emerge a

move to reinvent government through the integration of the so-called e-governance. 

The search for reinventing governance seemed to be an ever-flummoxed flurry

to governments since time, money and knowledge must be considered in the utilization

of ICT. Adopting to the changes brought by the modern era, flexibility has a big role in

so doing. ICT is one of the aids for the government to come up with good performance

in terms of disseminating information towards the citizen as part of its transparency. As

cited by Ahmed, et al. (2006), the role of ICT in facilitating (political) information

exchange is manifested in the way information flows faster, more generously, and less

expensively throughout the planet for decision-making and for development. 

Most of government agencies use this kind of technology. In fact, different and

lots of sites where made in the internet for each and every government agencies that

allows  the community to send some concerns with regards to their functions and

about how they functioned. Brillantes et. al (2008) stated that it is very important that

we will be aided with supporting tools enabling the use of all kinds of spatial or

information which can be processed immediately and can be transported easily- that is

e-Government.

However, there are lots of problems arising in this said e-Government in

Philippines.  One of these problems is the community’s illiteracy; the fact that not all
Filipinos knows how to read and right truly lessen the e-government’s effectiveness.

According to Hafkin (2002), ICT requires various kinds of literacy and the inability to

read and write is a major barrier to local government administration. Most Filipinos

living remote areas are incapable to read due to lack of education on such certain area.

If they cannot read , how much more in using computers having internet access to enjoy

e-government’s fast, reliant and reliable public service?  

It is also a great opportunity for the government to utilize ICT in the efficient,

effective and more reliable way of delivering services and public administration. In

addition, the public may also utilized ICT for their participatory democracy. In the

Philippines, the use of ICT as tool for good governance emerge during the creation

of the National Computer Center (NCC) in 1971 and its subsequent designation in 1978

as the key agency in government tasked to direct IT use for national development and

rationalize computerization in the country. This was followed by the creation of other

ICT agencies to further promote ICT use in government as well as develop the country’s

ICT industry. In June 2000, the most important piece of legislation concerning ICT and

e-governance was signed into law—Republic Act 8792, otherwise known as the E-

commerce Act—which directs all agencies of government, including LGUs, to use

electronic means in government transactions. At the LGU level, the Act aims to get

“ICTs into the blood-stream of LGUs and enable better and faster delivery of

government services to citizens at lesser costs, and, at the same time, generate higher

revenues for themselves.”

 In the Philippine Government System, the existence of government innumerable

websites and the government services enhancement can be seen as proofs that our

country is never left behind by global standard, but there is certain exclusion.

Contrasting our system from the other developed countries can show different

dissimilarities such as the quality, accessibility, advancement and availability of public

goods and services. Unlike the Korea’s Government 2.0 where every transaction can be

hassle-free commotions, we have to admit that ours is far from them. But as competitive

as how we consider our country, we are on the roadway in achieving fully the reforms

in our public administration. However, a flying start can still be obtained not only by

the government itself but also by those that made up the administration, its people.

Indeed, the use of ICT in governance and administration is a pace

towards betterment but there is also a question of readiness of the government for the

changes. 

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REFERENCES 
 
Ahmed, H., et al. (2006). Measuring the impact of ICT on women in Bangladesh.
Retrieved on February 14, 2019 from
http://www.btrc.gov.bd/sites/default/files/journal_file/measuring_the_imp
act_of_ict_on_women_in_bangladesh.pdf  
 
Hafkin, N.J. (2002). Gender Issues in developing countries an overview. Republic
of Korea, 11-14 November 2002. 
 
Ahiakwo, C.O.(2000). The role of Internet connectivity in Nigeria. Retrieved on
February 14, 2019 from
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/00330330510610591
 
Dedrick, J. & Kraemer, K.L. (2001). Information technology and productivity:  
 results and implications of cross-country studies. Information Technology and
Economic Development. Cambridge: Oxford University Press. 
 
Sipin, G., Espiritu, J., & Malaban, O. (2007). Issues On The Philippines’
Information And Communications Technology (ICT) Competitiveness. Retrieved
on February 14, 2019 from https://www.export.gov/article?id=Philippines-
Information-and-Communications-Technology