Government and Technology

The government will greatly benefit with the use of technology. The proper use of technology has numerous benefits; it makes for more convenient transactions for the public, easier coordination with suppliers, reduced administrative errors, and better public service.

During class discussions, it was pointed out that one way of improving public service is by the interconnection of the different agencies. If government agencies are interconnected, you would not need to obtain a copy from one agency that would just be submitted to another agency. For instance, in order to take a licensure exam you would need to submit, among other things, a copy of your NSO certified birth certificate. You would also need the birth certificate to obtain a passport from the DFA. If the different agencies are interconnected then you would not need to submit different copies of your birth certificate. It was also pointed out that such interconnection can also result in increase revenues for the government via improved better tax collection.

Some argue that extensive interconnectivity may be dangerous. For instance, if a security breach were to occur there may be widespread effects as a result of the interconnectedness of the systems. In addition, the information contained in the system could be abused by unscrupulous people. These concerns are valid, however these failures can be prevented by ensuring that the proper security measures are in place.

If the government can actually make use of technology then the quality of public service can be improved immensely. Some of us may be cynical about the capability of our government to implement such an undertaking because of the culture of corruption complacency. But, I would still like to believe that things are not impossible for our country. We just need the proper people in government who have the will power to effect the change. The time may not be today but I hope that in the future, with the new batch of politicians, then maybe there would be change.

So, what can be done to change this type of culture in our government? There have been a lot of recommendations on how the Philippines can address this problem. Check this site for some recommendations: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN019123.pdf

For current initiatives by the government check: http://www.cict.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=151&Itemid=1