MANILA, Philippines - World leaders have started taking a serious look at the Philippines, since President Aquino assumed office in June 2010, and after he introduced reforms of transparency and accountability through digitization, a Cabinet member said yesterday.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the government is “keeping up with the international community and tapping the innovations at our disposal” through key reforms, especially on the side of information and communications technology.
“We are generating a lot of buzz in the international community, especially with the digital reform measures we’re now instituting,” he said.
“Since the beginning of the administration, we’ve emphasized our commitment to improved governance, and it’s increasingly clear to us that ICT will be a valuable instrument in achieving this.”
Heads of state were impressed with the Philippine presentation during the official launch of the Better Than Cash (BTC) Alliance in New York City recently, Abad said.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) disclosed that “global leaders praised the administration’s digitization initiatives, including the shift to electronic banking for the distribution of benefits to retired military and police personnel.”
Abad said this will enable beneficiaries to receive their pensions faster, as well as ensure that only actual retirees will get their benefits.
“The administration has also been at the helm of the Cashless Card Purchase system, which will be piloted by the Department of National Defense,” he said.
The initiative will enable government personnel to use a card linked to an online system for authorized purchases, and allow easier monitoring of government transactions, facilitate accurate liquidation and auditing, and ensure efficient and transparent financial management in government agencies.
Abad said the example of the unpaid social benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education prompted the agency to shift to the National Payroll System (NPS).
“If implemented properly, the digitization of major processes in the bureaucracy will translate to the quicker and more efficient delivery of public goods and services,” he said.
Abad said conditional cash transfer benefits now farmed out through ATMs will eventually be dispensed via cellphones.
“All of these is central to President Aquino’s goal of reforming government to spur economic growth and empower the poor and vulnerable.”
The NPS is currently being tested in six pilot agencies – the DBM, Department of Finance, National Competitiveness Council, Commission on Audit, Bureau of Treasury, and the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute.
It aims to facilitate the shift from cash or check payments to an electronic-based salary payment system, eliminating ghost entries in the payroll and expediting the release of monthly salaries of government employees.
The administration will also set up the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) to allow the online procurement of supplies and services for government offices.