Aside from changing the way we do business, the iPhone is also starting to change the way government interacts with its constituents.
Because of improving mobile phones and the increasing popularity of social media, more and more apps are being developed and released that allow constituents to directly have a say in the way government spends public funds.
As CNN.com reported in a recent article (Cities Embrace Mobile Apps, 'Gov 2.0' at http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/28/government.web.apps/index.html), apps that allow users to take a photo of things they think the government should fix (and then allow them to send the photo to a government agency with the appropriate GPS coordinates) are starting to become popular.
This is an interesting concept which, I think, can be applied to the Philippines effectively once the technology for it has been "localized".
With government 2.0 institutionalized, we will be able to channel the reactions, comments, and suggestions of constituents more effectively by enabling all of them to reach the appropriate government agency/agencies.
Browsing through hundreds of blog sites, personal websites, and forums, I can see that Filipinos are among one of the most active "voices" in the web. If we are able to direct these voices to the right people, then imagine how it can help in the overall effectivity, efficiency, and productivity of government.
Of course this is just one way to improve overall governance, a lot still depends on the public officers who will receive and process the complaints, suggestions, or reports. Then again, allowing easy (and fast) access to public officers should, theoretically at least, allow public officers to know and respond faster to the top concerns of their constituents, thereby making government "feel" more personal rather than bureaucratic.
- Aaron Ho (6th Entry)
Image Taken from:
www.swissarmylibrarian.net/.
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