Transacting with government made easy

Just last year, the United Nations E-Government Award was conferred to the Philippines by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs for its significant progress in digital government.

The award recognizes countries that are highly advanced in the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) and the Online Service Index (OSI), two global benchmarks for measuring government digital performance.

Specifically, the Philippines improved its classification from “high” to “very high” in the EGDI, rose more than 15 places in the EGDI global ranking, and moved from “high” to “very high” in the OSI after increasing by over 15 percent between 2022 and 2024.

The Philippines climbed from 89th to 73rd in the EGDI and from 80th to 49th in e-participation – one of only 12 countries cited for progress.

According to DICT Undersecretary for e-Government David Almirol Jr., these milestones reflect the government’s sustained efforts to digitalize public services and make them more accessible, secure and citizen-centric, adding that this global recognition by the UN validates the country’s digital transformation roadmap, which aligns with the President’s vision to make government services more efficient, inclusive and future-ready.

Last year’s recognition followed the DICT’s successful rollout of several major digital transformations, including the eGovPH Super App.

Launched in June 2023, the eGovPH Super App serves as a one-stop mobile platform for accessing government services. It hosts offerings from different national and local government agencies, including digital versions of various identification cards such as the ePHilHealth ID, National ID, and PRC ID.

You can even check records of traffic violations under the government’s No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) via this app.

According to the Metro Manila Development Authority, by integrating its NCAP online violation checking and payment system into the eGovPH Super App, motorists can now conveniently verify NCAP apprehension records, monitor details, check payment status and access related services anytime and anywhere.

As of last June, the DICT’s flagship eGovPH app has surpassed 800 million transactions, surpassing the DICT’s original target of 30 million users by 2028, while reaching 56 million downloads and now recording 100,000 daily average downloads.

Behind it, more than 1,300 government systems that never spoke to each other now do. Ninety million digital national IDs have been issued. Sixty million travelers have moved through eTravel.

Majority of local government units now issue business permits electronically. Sixty thousand citizens have filed complaints through eReport without entering a building.

The range is what surprises people. A driver’s license renewed without a trip to the Land Transportation Office. A PhilHealth membership, a tax identification number, an OWWA e-card, a senior citizen ID – carried in one wallet, on one phone, by people who used to keep them in a folder.

What took Filipinos days, weeks, even months to secure and accomplish is now being done in a few minutes.

The E-Governance Act under Republic Act 12254 made it possible. But the road wasn’t easy. Getting here took more than code. Dozens of agencies had to open systems they had built and run on their own, like the PSA, the LTO, PhilHealth, OWWA, the PRC, and accept that a citizen’s record belongs to the citizen, not to the office that happens to hold it. Interoperability is a technical word for an act of trust.

The office behind it is run by someone who built software long before he had a title. Almirol spent 15 years delivering systems to clients who paid for results, and he brought that level of performance into government with him.

He said DICT’s own personnel developed the eGovPH platform. It integrates services from more than 1,300 government systems and is only one of 28 digital platforms managed by the DICT’s e-Government office.

I use eGovPH every time I leave the country for my eTravel registration, which is mandatory for Filipino passengers. I can even accomplish the electronic form on my mobile phone on my way to the airport.

One can use the app to book a passport application schedule with the Department of Foreign Affairs, go to the NBI website to secure a clearance, apply for a PSA eCertificate and hardcopy delivery, apply for a drivers’ license with the LTO, register to the Philippine Identification System and get your digital national ID (yes, I immediately got mine even though my physical ID has not arrived after more than two years of applying), among a host of other services. The app also easily directs you to the websites of different government agencies and offices without having to scour the internet for them.

This app is especially useful for Filipinos overseas, who no longer need to authorize representatives here to complete government transactions and renew their IDs and licenses.

The DICT has also assured the public that this one-stop mobile app has advanced security features to address data breaches and other security concerns, with regular security audits and updates to ensure data remains protected from cyberthreats.

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