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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
 ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES    ) 
First Regular Session     
 ) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
H.B. NO. _____ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE EMMARIE “LOLYPOP” OUANO-
DIZON 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE TRANSITION OF THE 
GOVERNMENT TO E-GOVERNANCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE, 
CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE PHILIPPINE INFOSTRUCTURE 
MANAGEMENT CORPORATION AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The shift to digital platforms has been long time coming. The COVID-19 
pandemic only expedited the need for its execution. The policies in the "new normal" 
must be responsive to the needs of the populace and allow them to truly feel a sense 
of normalcy, rather than burden them with inevitable but avoidable restrictions. 
Digitalization of services is evidently the most efficient solution to the gap in the 
delivery of government services. It is high time to enact a law that would require all 
government agencies to transition to digital platforms.  
In recognition of our more increasingly digital public reality, this bill 
mandates the government to establish an integrated, interconnected, and 
interoperable Information and resource sharing and communications network 
spanning the entirety of the national and local government, an internal records 
management information system, an information database, and digital portals for the 
delivery of public services. It also promotes the digitization of paper-based and other 
traditional modes of workflows for a more efficient and transparent public service.  
This bill also encourages government cooperation with the private sector in 
providing resources, assets, and services. It hopes to accelerate the government's 
July 31, 2025
4:15 pm
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adaptation to the demands of the globalized, digitalized world and to optimize the 
efficiencies. particularly in personnel and transport costs, that digitalized 
government services could create for the public sector.  
In view of the foregoing considerations, approval of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
EMMARIE “LOLYPOP” OUANO-DIZON 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE EMMARIE “LOLYPOP” OUANO-
DIZON 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE TRANSITION OF THE 
GOVERNMENT TO E-GOVERNANCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE, 
CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE PHILIPPINE INFOSTRUCTURE 
MANAGEMENT CORPORATION AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:  
CHAPTER I 
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “E-Governance 
Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy and Purposes. – It is hereby declared the 
policy of the State to recognize the vital role of information and communication in 
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nation-building and the necessity of harnessing the power of information and 
communications technology (ICT) in pursuit of national development and progress. 
The State hereby adopts a policy to create, foster, and sustain a digitally empowered 
and integrated government that provides secure, responsive and transparent online 
citizen-centered services and harnesses the potential of open data for promoting 
economic growth and a globally competitive Filipino nation.  
 
In pursuit of this policy, this Act shall have the following purposes:  
 
a) Provide effective leadership of government efforts to develop and promote 
electronic government services and processes by defining and identifying the roles 
of various government agencies in the entire digital transformation process; 
b) Promote the use of the internet, ICT and emerging technologies within and 
across government agencies to provide citizen-centric government information and 
services, and improve public trust and citizen participation in the government;  
c) Promote ICT infrastructure development interoperability of inter-agency 
systems and processes through a consolidated process architecture;  
d) Promote inter-agency collaboration in providing government services, to 
improve the service to citizens by integrating related functions, and in the use of ICT 
to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the processes including but not limited 
to secure data and information sharing; 
e) Improve the ability of the government to achieve agency missions and 
program performance goals;  
f) Reduce costs and burdens for businesses and other government entities; 
g) Promote the use of ICT to enable an informed and data-driven decision 
making by policy makers, taking into consideration data analytics results;  
h) Promote the use of ICT in improving access to high quality government 
information and services across multiple channels;  
i) Strengthen transparency and accountability efforts of the national and local 
governments; 
j) Transform agency operations by utilizing, where appropriate, best practices 
from public and private sector organizations, both local and international; 
k) Provide enhanced and secured access to government information and 
services in a manner consistent with laws regarding protection of data privacy, 
cybersecurity, national security, records retention, freedom of information, open 
data, access for persons with disabilities, and other relevant laws;  
l) Promote ICT capacity development to create quality jobs and increase the 
employability of the Philippine workforce;  
m) Ensure and take measures to update the qualification and competency 
standards of ICT positions in the government;  


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n) Promote digital literacy to enable Filipinos to participate in an evolving 
ICT age;  
o) Promote and support innovation, including the creation of a conducive 
environment for start-ups in providing better service to citizens, raise efficiencies 
and productivity in the public sector;  
p) Promote best practices where processes are documented, analyzed, or 
streamlined before digitalization happens;  
q) Build resilience to withstand the effects of disasters, pandemics, or 
widespread information technology disruptions, including cybersecurity attacks, that 
will limit its citizens’ ability to transact;  
r) Encourage the use of electronic devices where the mobility of citizens is 
restricted; and  
s) Promote the establishment of an open data economy by unlocking the 
economic value of opening government, public and private data.  
 
SEC. 3. Coverage. – This Act shall apply to all executive, legislative, judicial 
offices, and constitutional offices, including local government units (LGUs), state 
universities and colleges (SUCs), government-owned or controlled corporations 
(GOCCs) and other instrumentalities, whether located in the Philippines or abroad, 
that provide services covering business and nonbusiness related transactions as 
defined in this Act, subject to limitations under existing laws. Further, this Act shall 
also cover back-end government operations, within, between and across agencies, 
government-to-government transactions, particularly those involving sharing and 
processing of data and information between and among government agencies for 
policy, planning and decision-making purposes, and other government operations.  
 
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act:  
 
a) Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) refers to an intermediary that 
allows interaction between applications, programs, software components, systems, 
hardware, and microservices of different individuals or organizations;  
b) Chief Information Officer or CIO refers to a senior officer in all national 
government agencies, including constitutional offices, state universities and 
colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations, and government financial 
institutions responsible for the development, planning and implementation of the 
agency’s information systems strategic plan or ICT plan, and management of the 
agency’s ICT systems, platforms, and applications;  
c) Critical Information Infrastructure or Critical Infostructure (CII) refers to 
the computer systems, and/or networks whether physical or virtual, and/or the 
computer programs, computer data and/or traffic data that are vital to this country 


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that the incapacity or destruction or interference with such system and assets would 
have a debilitating impact on security, national or economic security, national health 
and safety or any combination of those matters. Sectors initially classified as CIIs 
are the following: government transportation (land, sea, air), energy, water, health, 
emergency services, banking and finance, business process outsourcing, 
telecommunications, and media;  
d) Digitization refers to the process of encoding information or procedure into 
digital form that can be read and manipulated by computers;  
e) Digitalization refers to the process of using digital technologies to enhance 
the operations of the government, and provide new revenue and value-producing 
opportunities;  
f) Digital Transformation refers to the process of optimizing, reconstructing, 
and integrating digital technology into all areas of the government, to maximize 
resource configuration, improve operational efficiency and innovation capability, 
and enhance value delivery to stakeholders; 
g) E-Governance refers to the application of ICT in establishing interaction 
between the different levels of government, business, and the citizenry. It also 
involves the implementation of internal government operations meant to simplify 
and improve both the democratic and business aspects of governance;  
h) E-Government refers to the use of information and communications 
technology by the government to enhance the access to and delivery of government 
services to bring about efficient, responsive, ethical, accountable and transparent 
government;  
i) ICT Assets refer to any data, device, equipment, infrastructure, system, or 
component thereof, utilized to ensure or support the proper and efficient operation 
and implementation of ICT-related programs and delivery of ICT services;  
j) ICT plan refers to the sum or set of goals, measures, strategies, agenda, 
budget and timeline for the implementation of ICT programs and projects and the 
use of information and communications technology, including digital platforms, to 
deliver public services or otherwise perform governmental functions;  
k) Information and Communications Technology or ICT refers to the totality 
of electronic means to access, create, collect, store, process, receive, transmit, 
present, regulate and disseminate information;  
l) Information Security Standards (ISS) refers to generally acceptable security 
standards which aim to protect, and secure the confidentiality, integrity, availability, 
authenticity, and non-repudiation of information;  
m) Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP) refers to the 3 year plan that 
serves as the agency’s roadmap for using ICT as a strategic resource to support the 
attainment of its goals, mission, and vision and it is also a written expression of how 


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an agency intends to use ICT to support its data processing and decision-making 
processes;  
n) Internet refers to a public enterprise network that shares data or application 
resources via Internet Protocol;  
o) Interoperability refers to the ability of different operating and software 
systems, applications, and services to communicate and exchange data in an 
accurate, effective, and consistent manner to different platforms and agencies;  
p) Privacy Engineering refers to the integration of privacy concerns into 
engineering practices for systems and software engineering life cycle processes;   
q) Privacy-by-Design refers to an approach in the development and 
implementation of projects, programs, and processes that integrates safeguards that 
are necessary to protect and promote privacy into the design or structure;  
r) Privacy-by-Default refers to a practice of applying the strictest privacy 
settings by default, without any manual input from the user, when a product or 
service has been deployed for public use; and  
s) Workflow refers to the sequence of industrial, administrative, or other 
processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.  
 
CHAPTER II 
 
ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT 
 
SEC. 5. Responsibilities of the Heads of Government Agencies, Offices, 
and Instrumentalities. – The head of each agency, office, and instrumentality of 
the national and local government, in consultation with the Department of 
Information and Communications Technology (DICT), shall be responsible for:  
 
a) Adhering to the requirements of this Act, including related standards for all 
ICT infrastructures, systems, equipment, designs, and all other technology, which 
shall be promulgated by the DICT;  
b) Complying with the standards and protocols for cybersecurity, resiliency, 
and data privacy and confidentiality, which shall also be promulgated by the DICT 
in consultation with the National Privacy Commission (NPC);  
c) Ensuring that the information technology standards promulgated by the 
DICT are communicated promptly and effectively to all relevant officials within 
their agency;  
d) Supporting the efforts of the national and local government to develop, 
maintain, and promote an integrated system of delivering government information 
and services to the public;  


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e) In consultation with the DICT, establishing and implementing information 
security policy, freedom of information, open data policy, and standards within their 
organization, in consideration of their respective mandate or technology needs or 
risks; and  
f) Conforming to the reengineering and streamlining requirements of Anti-
Red Tape Authority (ARTA) as provided under Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of 
Doing Business and Efficient Services Act of 2018.  
 
To these ends, agencies shall:  
 
a) Develop performance measures that demonstrate how ICT enables progress 
toward agency objectives, strategic goals, and statutory mandates;  
b) In measuring performance, rely on existing data collections to the extent 
practicable and introduce new data collection schemes necessary to collect 
performance data and derive valuable insights. Areas of performance measurement 
that agencies should include customer service, agency productivity, and adoption of 
innovative information technology, including the appropriate use of industry best 
practices;  
c) Link their performance goals, as appropriate, to key groups, including 
citizens, businesses, and other governments;  
d) As appropriate, work collectively in linking their performance goals to key 
groups and shall use information technology in delivering government information 
and services to those groups;  
e) Ensure that all ISSPs and ICT plans are updated annually and considered 
in their 13 budget preparation activities;  
f) Agencies shall regularly undertake cost compliance analysis, time and 
motion studies, undergo evaluation and improvement of their transaction systems 
and procedures and reengineer the same if deemed necessary to reduce bureaucratic 
red tape and process time;  
g) Support the development of a digital competency framework in order to 
undertake a competency assessment of personnel and provide them with appropriate 
learning and development programs to strengthen their digital competency; and   
h) Be accountable in the implementation of the ISSP or ICT Plan: Provided, 
however, That for purposes of efficiency and avoidance of redundancy, government 
agencies, offices, and instrumentalities, with existing:  
 
(a) standards for all ICT infrastructures, systems, equipment, designs, 
and all other technology;  
(b) protocols for cybersecurity, resiliency and data privacy and 
confidentiality;  


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(c) effective mechanism for communicating promptly and effectively 
all information technology standards within their agency; and  
(d) equipment, systems, programs and infrastructures, that substantially 
comply with the minimum requirements indicated in the relevant provisions 
of this Act, as well as those that already have existing government positions, 
such as Chief Information Officer, within their respective offices whose 
qualifications are aligned with the requirements under this Act, shall be 
allowed to maintain those existing standards, protocols, mechanisms, 
equipment, systems, programs, infrastructures and positions, and shall already 
be deemed compliant with the provisions hereof. 
 
SEC. 
6. 
Role 
of 
the 
Department 
of 
Information 
and 
Communications Technology. – The DICT shall be the primary 
implementing body and principal administrator of this Act. In accordance with 
applicable laws and rules, and subject to limitations provided by the 
Constitution, the DICT shall ensure that all ICT projects in the Philippines 
shall be done in accordance with the National ICT Development Agenda and 
E-Government Master Plan, as provided under Republic Act No. 10844 
otherwise known as the “Department of Information and Communications 
Technology Act of 2015”. For this purpose, the DICT shall establish measures 
to implement policies under this Act and ensure that all ICT projects in the 
Philippines, whether national or local are harmonized with the overall ICT 
plans and in compliance with applicable standards. Accordingly, the DICT 
shall:  
 
a) Adopt a national policy and process that promotes innovations, 
supports start-ups, and facilitate the entry and adoption of technologies 
consistent with the goals of this Act;  
b) Mandate support and supervise the government agencies in ensuring 
the quality, security, and reliability of their respective ICT infrastructure and 
services in accordance with international or industrial standards, 
specifications, and best practices, and direct the interconnection or 
interoperability of ICT infrastructure, systems, and facilities when necessary 
to achieve the goals of this Act;  
c) Coordinate and/or collaborate with the private sector and enter into 
partnerships and joint ventures in accordance with the goals of this Act;  
d) Mandate and supervise the adoption of policies and processes to 
ensure the implementation of this Act, including the adoption of a Roadmap 
to provide a strategic and phased whole-of-government transformation to e-
Government, with clear and identified milestones, and which explicitly 


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defines the roles and responsibilities of covered government agencies, offices, 
and instrumentalities;  
e) Regulate and supervise the operations of ICT infrastructure, systems, 
and facilities, and in the exercise of such functions, in accordance with 
applicable laws and rules;  
f) Mandate government agencies, offices and instrumentalities to 
comply with the minimum qualification and competency standards of ICT 
positions in the government and require government agencies, offices, and 
instrumentalities, to regularly report the status of compliance thereto; and  
g) Engage technical and standards organizations and consult industry 
experts on matters requiring engineering inputs, enterprise architecture and 
other highly specialized concerns.  
h) Where applicable, recognize the administrative autonomy provided 
by the Constitution for independent government agencies, offices, and 
instrumentalities in the implementation and enforcement of the foregoing; and  
i) Develop in accordance with applicable civil service laws and rules, 
consistent with the compensation and position classification system of the 
government, the competency and qualification standards of all ICT positions 
in the government, and submit to the Department of Budget and Management 
(DBM) the proposal for the creation and updating of current civil service 
positions for ICT workers, which include cybersecurity, data governance, data 
privacy, and other ICT-related government positions and the appropriate job 
levels and corresponding compensation rates aligned with the personnel needs 
of a digitized government and comparable with the prevailing industry rates, 
as well as the qualifications standards, duties and functions essential to the 
effective operation of government ICT infrastructure and systems: Provided, 
That government agencies, offices, and instrumentalities, that have been 
exempted from the Salary Standardization Law and have been granted 
authority to formulate their own compensation and position classification 
systems, whose compensation, competency, and qualification standards are 
aligned with the minimum requirements under this Act, shall be allowed to 
maintain those existing compensation, competency, and qualification 
standards in the operation of government ICT infrastructure and systems.  
 
SEC. 7. The E-Governance Unified Project Management Office. – 
Within one year from the 22 effectivity of this Act, the DICT shall establish a 
government-wide E-Governance Unified Project Management Office (E-
Gov-UPMO), which shall cater to and address the portfolio, program, and 
project management needs of government agencies, with the end goal of 


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ensuring that ICT projects across the government are managed with efficiency 
and agility, following international best practices and standards.  
 
The DICT shall provide guidelines on the operation of the E-Gov-
UPMO and the qualifications of personnel under the E-Gov-UPMO, who 
shall, at the minimum obtain internationally-recognized certifications and a 
required number of units on Project Management, Program Management, IT 
Service Management, the Enterprise Architecture, Information Security, Data 
Privacy, Risk Management, and other similar fields or specializations. For this 
purpose, the ICT Academy created under this Act, shall ensure that courses, 
multimodal training, and certifications to develop this human resource are 
regularly offered.  
 
SEC. 8. Chief Information Officer. – Every government agency is 
authorized to create a plantilla position for Chief Information Officer (CIO) 
who shall ensure that ICT systems are developed and implemented which are 
properly secured and compliant with standards as determined and prescribed 
by the DICT and in accordance with relevant laws, rules, and regulations, 
including Republic Act No. 10173, or the “Data Privacy Act of 2012”.  
 
The CIO shall perform the following functions:  
 
a) Advise agencies on how best to leverage ICTs to optimize the 
delivery of secured public services, and achieve efficient, and cost-effective 
operations;  
b) Securely develop, maintain, and manage the agency’s information 
systems;  
c) Manage and supervise the implementation of ICT related projects, 
systems, and processes;  
d) Formulate and implement processes in relation to the adoption of 
ICT-based solutions, including emerging technologies as provided in the E-
Government Plan;  
e) Manage operational risks related to ICT in coordination with the 
agency’s management and stakeholders;  
f) Ensure that the ICT programs and operations are consistent with 
national policies and standards; and  
g) Accelerate the use of open data, blockchain, emerging technologies 
and benchmark ICT programs and operations against ICT industry best 
practices.  
 


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Recruitment, selection and appointment to the CIO position shall be in 
accordance with the civil service law, rules and regulations, and the 
competency standards prescribed by the DICT.  
 
SEC. 9. Inclusivity. – In accordance with the provisions of this Act, 
when promulgating policies and implementing programs regarding the 
provision of government information and services over the internet and other 
platforms or channels, agency heads shall consider the impact on persons 
without access to such platforms or channels, and shall, to the extent 
practicable, ensure that the availability of government information and 
services has not been or shall not be diminished for individuals and entities 
who lack access to the internet; and pursue alternate modes of delivery that 
make government information and services more accessible to individuals, 
either electronically or manually.  
 
CHAPTER III 
 
THE E-GOVERNMENT MASTER PLAN 
 
SEC. 10. E-Government Master Plan. – The DICT shall formulate 
and promote an E-Government Master Plan (EGMP) or its equivalent that will 
serve as a blueprint for the development and enhancement of all electronic 
Government service processes, and workforce to achieve digital 
transformation in the bureaucracy. Supplemental to this, an integrated 
framework shall be developed to provide the government enterprise 
architecture and operationalize the blueprint through programs and projects 
relating to e-government, in order to fully realize the vision, goals and 
objectives of the Master Plan. The EGMP and the accompanying integrated 
framework shall be reviewed and updated every three (3) years or earlier as 
the need arises, in anticipation of disruptions, emergencies, crises, and new 
and emerging technologies.  
 
In order to effectively implement E-Governance across the 
government, a whole-of government approach shall be adopted for the 
formulation and promotion of EGMP. This approach shall facilitate 
engagement primarily with the government agencies, instrumentalities, 
GOCCs, LGUs, Regional Development Councils, ICT Councils, technical 
and standards organizations and other relevant stakeholders towards ensuring 
the full and effective implementation of the country’s E-Governance Agenda. 
All E-Government Programs identified herein and, in the future, as well as in 


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the ISSP of each government agency, instrumentality, and GOCCs shall be 
subject to mandatory review and monitoring by the DICT in order to be 
aligned with the EGMP and its accompanying integrated framework.  
 
SEC. 11. E-Government Programs. – The DICT shall develop the 
following programs and systems that will be regularly updated in consultation 
with the stakeholders and ensure that such programs and systems are 
compliant with the standards imposed by relevant laws, rules, and regulations 
relating to data privacy and security, including among others and not limited 
to Republic Act No. 10173:  
 
a) Philippine Government Interoperability Framework. – A Philippine 
government interoperability framework shall guide and govern the basic 
technical and informational interoperability of government ICT systems. Such 
a framework shall provide shared operations and services of the Philippine 
government, between and among its various agencies, as well as for these 
agencies in dealing with their various constituencies. This shall be reviewed 
and updated regularly, to ensure that this framework is responsive with the 
current needs of the government and aligned with the newly adopted 
standards;  
b) Records and Knowledge Management Information System. — A 
records and knowledge management information system shall be designed to 
systematically and efficiently manage government documents, records and 
knowledge products and services. This includes the digitization of paper-
based documents, records and knowledge products and services, as well as the 
re-engineering and digitalization of paper-based workflows, from creation, 
dissemination, processing, analysis, tracking, storing, verification and 
authentication, and archiving or disposal, while adhering to existing policies, 
laws and internationally-recognized standards and best practices. A repository 
and corresponding Secure Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) shall 
be created for the common data sets, which include pricing data, demographic 
data, geospatial data, in order to improve publication, sharing and utilization 
of data across the government. The DICT shall ensure that such repository 
shall be in compliance with applicable data privacy laws and information 
security standards, in coordination with the NPC. The DICT shall also 
establish a government data storage and interoperability platform or its 
equivalent to store all information and services that are currently housed in 
the government data center;  
c) Integrated Government Network. – An integrated, dedicated, 
interconnected, interoperable, 10 secure and resilient government network, to 


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be known as the “Integrated Government Network” (IGN) shall be established 
to act as the primary means for the sharing and communication of resources, 
information, and data through digital and electronic platforms across all 
agencies 
of 
the 
government, 
covering 
all 
branches, 
agencies, 
instrumentalities, and offices of the national and local government, including 
government-owned and controlled corporations.  
 
Such network shall also act as the government’s primary and focal 
information management tool and communications network and the data 
traffic that will be coursed by the government agencies and key stakeholders 
through this network will be exchanged through a designated Government 
Internet Protocol Exchange (G/IPX) facility. Interconnectivity and 
interoperability measures shall be established and maintained between all 
existing internal networks and the IGN. 20 This program shall also cover the 
acquisition and management of internet resources of the government, such as 
internet protocol (IP) addresses, and domain names, among others;  
d) Integrated Local Government Unit (ILGU) System. – In compliance 
with the immediately preceding paragraph, LGUs shall establish their own 
portal or utilize the ILGU developed by the DICT, its equivalent programs 
and systems thereof: Provided, That LGUs that are unable to establish their 
own system within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act are mandated 
to utilize the ILGU or equivalent programs and systems: Provided, further, 
That LGUs establishing their own portal or those with existing portals shall 
immediately be connected by the DICT to the IGN, pursuant to Section 11, 
subparagraph (c) of this Act: Provided, finally, That the ILGU software or 
equivalent including its necessary infrastructure shall likewise be provided by 
the DICT for the effective use of the ILGU to the unserved and underserved 
municipalities;  
e) Government Digital Payment Systems for Collection and 
Disbursement. — An internet based electronic payment facility and gateway 
that will enable citizens and businesses to remit and receive payments 
electronically or from government agencies shall be created. It shall render 
services through various delivery channels, which include debit instructions 
(ATM accounts), credit instructions (credit cards) and mobile wallets (mobile 
application/SMS). For this purpose, the government may, in accordance with 
applicable laws and rules, engage the services of and interconnect with public 
and private payment systems and facilities, among others, consistent with the 
National Retail Payment System Framework of the Bangko Sentral ng 
Pilipinas (BSP).  
 


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These systems should smoothly interface with the current monitoring 
and accounting systems of the National Treasury;  
f) Citizen Frontline Delivery Services Platform. — Services that are 
needed to facilitate business and non-business transactions referring to 
permitting, licensing, and the issuance of any privilege, right, reward, 
clearance, authorization, or concession, including frontline services enrolled 
in the existing citizen’s charter, whether or not related to business, 
corresponding back and/support services, and regulatory functions related to 
permitting, licensing, and the issuance of any privilege, right, reward, 
clearance, authorization, or concession shall be made efficient by integrating 
all agencies involved, such as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Land Transportation Office (LTO), 
National 
Bureau 
of 
Investigation 
(NBI), 
Professional 
Regulation 
Commission, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Securities and 
Exchange Commission (SEC), BSP, Cooperative Development Authority 
(CDA), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Government Service Insurance 
System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), Home Development Mutual 
Fund (HDMF), PAG-IBIG, and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 
(PhilHealth), into one platform and shall be made available in a form of portal, 
mobile applications and other applicable variations thereof.  
 
All other government agencies, offices, and instrumentalities, including 
LGUs which provide frontline services, as defined under Republic Act No. 
9485, or the “Anti-Red Tape Act of 24 2007” as amended by Republic Act 
No. 11032, shall file an application for integration with the DICT. All 
agencies, offices and instrumentalities that will be integrated shall establish 
and maintain measures to ensure that such services are accessible and capable 
of delivery to the public through the platform;  
 
g) Online Public Service Portal. – Complementing the Citizen Frontline 
Delivery Services Platform, an Online Public Service Portal shall be made 
accessible, through digital platforms, such as the internet and other 
information and communications technologies, to citizens of the Philippines, 
foreign nationals who have been lawfully admitted in the country, and 
businesses organized and existing or operating under the laws and rules of the 
Philippines for purposes consistent with the efficient delivery of public 
services. The Online Public Service Portal shall serve as a helpdesk where 
citizens can request for information and assistance on government frontline 
services, service procedures, and report commendations, appreciation, 
complaints, and feedback.  


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For 
the 
purposes 
of 
interoperability, 
interconnection 
and 
harmonization, all existing systems or mechanisms, such as 8888 Citizens’ 
Complaint Center, government social media channels, established and/or 
maintained by agencies, offices, and instrumentalities, and LGUs shall be 
integrated to Online Public Service Portal. Likewise, the Online Public 
Service Portal shall be fully integrated with the integrated government 
network and Records and Knowledge Management Information System for 
real time updating of data and information.  
 
To ensure that the public is served efficiently and expeditiously in 
accordance with the objectives of this Act, all national government agencies, 
offices, and instrumentalities, GOCCs, government financial institutions, as 
well as the LGUs, are hereby mandated to cooperate and coordinate with the 
Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and each other to ensure prompt action 
on the concerns received through the Online Public Service Portal and 
associated communication channels.  
 
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act, access to and use of the 
resources, information, and data through the portal shall be in accordance with 
all relevant laws, rules, and regulations on data and information privacy and 
the pertinent rules on confidentiality of government information, such as 
Republic Act No. 11032;  
 
h) Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). — 
To ensure fiscal discipline, fund allocation efficiency and operational 
efficiency in the delivery of public services, an IFMIS shall be jointly 
developed by the DBM, Department of Finance (DOF), Commission on Audit 
(COA), and DICT. This shall harmonize all existing financial systems in the 
government to enable real-time, online accounting, monitoring, and control of 
obligations and disbursements and directly link these to cash management for 
a more effective financial control and accountability. This shall facilitate the 
generation and monitoring of vital information on all aspects of government 
financial transaction to support timely and informed decisions across the 
bureaucracy.  
i) Procurement System. – A modernized Philippine Government 
Procurement System shall be developed and implemented to provide an 
auditable online system that encompasses all procurement and supply chain 
management processes involving bidding, contract management, delivery, 
acceptance and payment for services or supplies: Provided, That government 


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agencies, offices, and instrumentalities granted by law and by their respective 
Charters with fiscal and administrative autonomy in the performance of their 
constitutional and statutory mandates, shall independently develop, maintain, 
undertake, supervise and regulate their own Procurement Systems and shall 
only be required to coordinate and report to the DICT for purposes of 
alignment of policy objectives;   
j) Human Capital Management Information System. – A Human 
Capital Management Information System (HCMIS) shall be developed in 
order to eliminate paper-based and manual human resource (HR)-related 
processes. Consistent with the applicable civil service laws and rules, HCMIS 
shall automate the following HR-related functions in the government: 
recruitment and selection, appointment preparation and submission, personnel 
records keeping, salary, benefits and payroll administration, leave 
management, learning and development, rewards and recognition and 
performance management, among others. Further, this system shall utilize 
analytics in order to provide insights necessary for strategic HR functions such 
as performance management, forecasting, promotion, succession planning, 
among others: Provided, That government agencies, offices, and 
instrumentalities granted by law and by their respective Charters with fiscal 
and administrative autonomy in the performance of their constitutional and 
statutory mandates, including those that have been exempted from the Salary 
Standardization Law and have been granted authority to formulate their own 
classification systems, shall be allowed to independently develop, maintain, 
undertake, supervise and regulate their own HCMIS and shall only be required 
to coordinate and report to the DICT for purposes of alignment of policy 
objectives; and  
k) Government Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Program. – The DICT 
shall encourage and promote the use of Government PKI digital certificates 
that shall allow paperless transactions and remote approval of signatories in 
the government. This would reduce red tape, therefore enforcing Ease of 
Doing Business. The adoption of PKI aims to strengthen e-government 
security through its implementation in all government offices and supply of 
digital certificates to the citizens. The PKI digital certificates shall ensure the 
security of digital data and transactions by providing the following feature:   
 
1. Authentication to prevent unauthorized disclosure of information; 
2. Confidentiality to ensure that a message shall remain unmodified 
during transmission;   
3. Integrity to validate that the senders are exactly who they say they 
are; and   


18 | P a g e  
 
4. Non-repudiation to ensure non-deniability of actions by any party.  
 
SEC. 12. Privacy Impact Assessment. – A mandatory Privacy Impact 
Assessment (PIA), in accordance with relevant NPC, guidelines shall be 
conducted on the proposed systems involved in processing personal data 
included in the EGMP prior to its publication to identify privacy risks and 
establish the appropriate controls framework, in line with existing data 
privacy and cybersecurity standards.  
 
SEC. 13. Minimum Information Security Standards Compliance. – 
The DICT shall establish and implement minimum Information Security 
Standards that are aligned with internationally accepted standards as well as 
relevant laws, rules and regulations including the information security 
standards and policies promulgated by the DICT, shall be established and 
implemented. Such standards shall cover all ICT systems used for E-
Government.  
 
SEC. 14. Protection of Government Critical Information 
Infrastructure (CII). – The DICT, in coordination with relevant government 
agencies and stakeholders, shall issue guidelines for the protection of 
government CII identified in the EGMP. All government CIIs shall be 
subjected to Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) 
before deploying such infrastructure. Further, an annual risk and security 
assessment shall be conducted at least once a year.  
 
SEC. 15. Public Service Continuity Plan. – All ICT systems and 
infrastructure covered in the priority programs of the EGMP as well as ISSPs 
shall be included as part of the Public Service Continuity Plan (PSCP) of all 
government agencies and instrumentalities, for the purpose of ensuring the 
continuous delivery of essential agency functions, notwithstanding any 
emergency or disruptions, consistent with the existing issuances of the 
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and 
Civil Service Commission (CSC).  
 
SEC. 16. National E-Government Index and E-Government 
Maturity Survey. – The DICT shall, in coordination with other government 
agencies, establish a national E-Government Development Index which 
provides globally competitive E-Government indicators, definitions and 
statistical standards. A manual for measuring e-government indicators shall 
be also developed to institutionalize the framework of measurement.  


19 | P a g e  
 
 
To support the establishment of this index and to assess the ICT 
readiness and maturity level of government agencies, an E-Government 
Maturity survey shall be conducted annually. The results of this survey shall 
primarily be used for the formulation and updating of EGMP.  
 
SEC. 17. Free Access to the Internet for the Public. – Republic Act 
No. 10929 or the “Free 27 Internet Access in Public Places Act” shall 
complement this Act.  
 
To further promote knowledge-building among citizens and enable 
them to participate and compete in the evolving information and 
communications age, the Free Public Internet Access Program shall likewise 
provide, through its Free Public Internet Access Fund (FPIAF), the associated 
or related computer systems and programs, databases and/or management and 
information systems, including the provisions of core transmission and 
distribution networks to support the said programs, subject to compliance with 
existing laws, rules and regulations.  
 
CHAPTER IV 
THE GOVERNMENT WEBSITES AND E-BULLETIN 
BOARDS  
 
SEC. 18. The Government E-Bulletin Board. – The government and 
all its agencies, offices, and instrumentalities, including local governments, 
shall continuously improve their existing website and establish an e-Bulletin 
Board for purposes of information dissemination. The website shall be 
interactive, well-designed, functional, and mobile-friendly. Security and 
accessibility of the website shall be ensured. Website content shall be 
regularly updated.  
 
SEC. 19. Information Dissemination Through the Website and 
Board. – All government offices, agencies, and instrumentalities which are 
mandated by the laws or rules to publish or otherwise disseminate notices, 
documents, or other information intended for public consumption and 
information shall, in addition to the traditional modes of publication, publish 
such notices, documents, or other information on the website and e-bulletin 
board and other verified official government social media accounts.  
 


20 | P a g e  
 
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act and other relevant laws, 
publication of notices, documents, or any other information on the website 
and e-bulletin board shall be construed as sufficient notice to the public for 
purposes of compliance with laws and rules requiring publication: Provided, 
That such website or bulletin board is accessible at such point in time where 
accessibility is claimed. For purposes of this provision, the start of publication 
shall be the date on which the notice, document, or information was first 
uploaded and made accessible to the public.  
 
SEC. 20. Minimum Standards for Government Websites and 
Information Portals. – The following shall be the minimum standards for 
government websites and information portals:   
 
a) It shall include direct and easily identifiable links to:  
 
(i) description of the mission, statutory authority, and the 
organizational structure of the agency; and  
(ii) commonly asked questions and the corresponding answers, 
and other common matters of public concern;  
b) It shall include direct and easily identifiable links to the relevant and 
applicable portals for the delivery of public services;  
c) It shall include the ability to provide access to public information via 
an API;  
d) It shall include an up-to-date government directory containing the 
contact information, such as emails, telephone numbers, and the likes, of the 
offices and officials within an agency; and  
e) It shall be compliant with the Philippine Web Accessibility policy, 
or any relevant and updated issuance from the DICT.  
 
CHAPTER V 
 
SECURITY AND PRIVACY 
 
SEC. 21. Data and Information Security. – All resources, 
information, or data stored on or transmitted through the government 
information systems and all networks interconnected to and interoperable with 
it, the portals, and websites shall be kept secure and free from interference or 
unauthorized access that can hamper or otherwise compromise the 
confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information and 
communication technology assets.  


21 | P a g e  
 
 
Access to and use of the resources, information, and data on the 
government information systems shall be limited to the government and its 
duly authorized officers and agents, in accordance with all relevant laws, 
rules, and regulations on data and information privacy and the pertinent rules 
on confidentiality of government information: Provided, That the data used 
by all concerned government agencies, offices, and instrumentalities with 
access to information systems and used data stored therein shall be destroyed 
or disposed of in accordance with acceptable standards and guidelines existing 
under the law for disposal of data upon fulfillment of its purpose.  
 
Any person who shall knowingly commit an act which results to the 
compromise of the security and integrity of the government information 
systems and all networks interconnected to and interoperable with it to the 
detriment of the government and the public shall incur criminal liability in 
accordance with the provisions of applicable and relevant penal laws.  
 
SEC. 22. Responsibility of the National and Local Government. – 
All agencies, offices, and instrumentalities of the national and local 
government under this Act shall be responsible for:  
 
a) Providing information security protections commensurate with the 
risk and magnitude of the harm resulting from unauthorized access, use, 
disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of information collected or 
maintained by or on behalf of the agency; and information systems used or 
operated by an agency or by a contractor of an agency or other organization 
on behalf of an agency;  
b) Determining the levels of information security appropriate to protect 
such information and information systems and implementing the same in 
coordination with the DICT;  
c) Periodically testing and evaluating information security controls and 
techniques to ensure that they are effectively implemented;   
d) Complying with the requirements of pertinent laws on information 
security and privacy, related policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines, 
including information security standards promulgated by the DICT and 
information security standards and guidelines for national security systems 
issued in accordance with law and as directed by the President of the 
Philippines;  
e) Ensuring that information security management processes are 
integrated with agency strategic and operational planning processes; and  


22 | P a g e  
 
f) Adopting the Privacy-by-Design, Privacy Engineering, and Privacy-
by-Default principles in developing, implementing, and deploying systems, 
processes, software applications, and services throughout the processing of 
personal data.  
 
SEC. 23. Master Data Management. – In order to have access to the 
most updated data, the government shall establish and maintain measures to 
ensure that the parent government agency responsible for a set of data shall 
own, maintain, update, and protect the data while giving access via secure 
Application Programming Interface (API) to other agencies.  
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
PARTICIPATION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR 
 
SEC. 24. Government Cooperation with the Private Sector. – 
Nothing in this Act shall prevent the government, both national and local, 
from entering into contracts, agreements, or partnerships with the private 
sector to provide various resources, assets, and services in order to comply or 
enhance compliance with the provisions of this Act.  
 
Any and all contracts or agreements with the private sector within the 
context of this Act shall be subject to the laws and rules on public 
accountability and transparency and good governance.  
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
THE PHILIPPINE INFOSTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT 
CORPORATION 
 
SEC. 25. The Philippine Infostructure Management Corporation. 
– For the purpose of ensuring proper and efficient operations and management 
of the ICT assets of the government and faster and effective implementation 
of programs, activities, and projects related to connectivity, data center, cloud 
services which include: infrastructure, platform, software and development of 
effective solutions delivery and enterprise architecture for digitalization 
initiatives of government instrumentalities, there is hereby established a body 
corporate to be known as the Philippine Infostructure Management 
Corporation (PIMC), which shall be government-owned and controlled 
corporation attached to the DICT. The legal existence of the PIMC shall be 


23 | P a g e  
 
for a period of fifty (50) years from the date of the approval of this Act. The 
PIMC shall be subject to the rules and regulations as the DICT may impose 
from time to time.  
 
SEC. 26. Powers and Functions. – To carry out its main purpose and 
in accordance with applicable laws and rules, and in addition to the powers 
granted to a corporation under Republic Act No. 11232 or the Revised 
Corporation Code of the Philippines, the PIMC shall have the following 
functions and powers:   
 
a) Implement infrastructure programs such as the National Broadband 
Plan, Free WiFi for All, and expansion of the National Government Data 
Centers and Government Cloud;   
b) Manage ICT assets of the government including the NGAs, LGUs, 
the Courts and the Congress;  
c) Prescribe, repeal, and alter its own by-laws;  
d) Determine its operating policies, and issue such rules and regulations 
as may be necessary to achieve its main purpose;  
e) Adopt, alter and use a corporate seal;  
f) Acquire and own real and personal property, and sell, mortgage or 
otherwise dispose of the same;  
g) Sue and be sued, enter into contracts, and borrow money from both 
local and foreign sources: Provided, That such loans shall be incurred only 
upon favorable recommendation of the Board and approval by the President 
of the Philippines;  
h) Create an enabling environment to foster innovation to include the 
promotion and support for emerging technologies;  
i) Hold, own, purchase, acquire, sell or otherwise invest, or reinvest in 
stocks, bonds or other securities capable of giving the PIMC a reasonably 
assured income sufficient to support its activities; and  
j) Provide ICT counseling and technical services to government and 
private entities: Provided, That for this purpose, the PIMC may contract the 
services of private consultants.  
 
SEC. 27. Board of Directors. – The corporate powers and functions of 
the PIMC shall be vested in and exercised by a Board of Directors that shall 
be composed of the following:  
 
a) The Secretary of the DICT as Ex-Officio Chairperson;  


24 | P a g e  
 
b) The Secretary of the DBM, or his duly designated Undersecretary, 
as ex officio Vice Chairperson;  
c) The Chief Executive Officer; and  
d) As Members:  
 
1. The Commissioner of the National Telecommunications 
Commission (NTC), or duly designated Deputy Commissioner;  
2. The Commissioner of the NPC or duly designated Deputy 
Privacy Commissioner;  
3. The Director-General of ARTA or duly designated Deputy 
Director-General;  
4. One (1) representative from the information technology and 
business process outsourcing industry;  
5. One (1) representative from the telecommunications industry; 
and  
6. One (1) representative from the LGUs who must not be an 
elective official.  
 
The representatives from the private sector and the LGUs shall be 
appointed by the President of the Philippines from the shortlist submitted by 
the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG): Provided, That the 
representatives from the private sector shall be appointed only upon a 
favorable recommendation from the DICT, and the representative from the 
LGUs shall be appointed only upon a favorable recommendation from the 
DICT and the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The 
representatives from the private sectors and LGUs shall be subject to the Fit 
and Proper Rule issued by the GCG. The representatives from the private 
sector 14 shall be at least thirty-five (35) years of age, possesses demonstrated 
administrative skills and ability in the field of ICT, and with a minimum of 
ten (10) years of professional experience in the field of ICT.  
 
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Corporation, who will be 
designated by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of 
the Board, shall execute and administer the policies and resolutions approved 
by the Board of Directors, prepare its agenda, and direct and supervise the 
operations and management of the Corporation. He shall have direct control 
and supervision of the business of the PIMC in all matters which are not 
prohibited under this Act or by the by-laws specifically reserved to be done 
by the Board of Directors. The CEO shall, subject to the approval of the 
Board, in cases of approval of appointments to managerial positions and 


25 | P a g e  
 
above, and the confirmation of the Board of Appointments below managerial 
level, appoint the personnel of the Corporation, remove, suspend or otherwise 
discipline them for cause, and prescribe their duties and qualifications, in 
accordance with existing civil service laws, rules and regulations, to ensure 
that only competent and qualified personnel may be employed.  
 
All members of the Board shall serve for a term of seven years.  
 
The Chairperson and the members of the Board shall act as the heads 
of such operating departments as may be set up by the Board. The Chairperson 
shall have authority, exercisable at his discretion, to determine from time to 
time the organizational divisions to be headed by each member serving full 
time and to make the corresponding shifts in designations pursuant thereto. 
The members of the Board, except for the ex-officio members, shall receive 
per diem every meeting 34 in accordance with existing rules and regulations.  
 
The Chairperson of the Board shall be assisted by an Executive Vice- 
Chairperson and one or more Vice-Chairpersons who shall be chosen and may 
be removed by the Board of Directors. The salaries of the Vice- Chairpersons 
shall be fixed by the Board of Directors with the approval of the President of 
the Philippines, and in accordance with the Compensation and Position 
Classification System by the GCG.  
 
SEC. 28. Authorized Capital Stock. – The PIMC shall have an 
authorized capital stock of Five billion pesos (₱5,000,000,000.00), divided 
into five million (5,000,000) shares of common stock with a par value of One 
thousand Philippine pesos (₱1,000.00) per share, which shall be fully 
subscribed by the government.  
 
The funding for the purpose shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act until the authorized capital as herein required has been 
fully paid within a period of five (5) years.  
 
SEC. 29. Personnel; Cost of Administration. – The Board of 
Directors shall provide for an organization and staff of officers and employees 
necessary to carry out the functions of the PIMC, fix their compensation, and 
appoint and remove such officers and employees for cause. The PIMC officers 
and employees shall be subject to the rules and regulations issued by the CSC 
and in accordance with Republic Act No. 10149 or the “GOCC Governance 
Act of 2011”. The wages must be comparable with the prevailing rate in the 


26 | P a g e  
 
private sector. The Board of Directors shall recommend to the CSC rules and 
regulations for the recruitment, appointment, compensation, administration, 
conduct, promotion and removal of all PIMC officers and employees under a 
strict merit system and prepare and conduct examinations under the 
supervision of said Commission.  
 
To fully implement the provisions of this Act capacitating government 
agencies in terms of ICT manpower, a new class of ICT position shall be 
created subject to evaluation and approval of the DBM and the corresponding 
qualification standards according to merit, skills, and experience subject to 
CSC evaluation and approval, or in lieu thereof, the equivalency exam 
administered by the DICT as authorized under Presidential Decree 1408 
conferring civil service eligibility on electronic data processing (EDP) 
specialist.  
 
The administrative expenses of the PIMC during any single fiscal year 
shall not in any case exceed thirty-five percent (35%) of its total assets.  
 
SEC. 30. Legal Counsel. – The Government Corporate Counsel (GCC) 
shall be the ex-officio legal adviser of the PIMC. Any provision of law to the 
contrary notwithstanding, the PIMC shall have its own Legal Department, the 
chief and members of which shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. The 
composition, budget and operating expenses of the Office of the Legal 
Counsel and the salaries and traveling expenses of its officers and employees 
shall be fixed by the Board of Directors and paid by the PIMC.  
 
SEC. 31. Removal of Members. – The President of the Philippines, in 
consultation with the GCC, may remove the Chairperson or any member of 
the Board appointed by him. In addition to any and all recognized causes for 
termination under applicable civil service laws and rules, the Chairperson or 
member may, in any of the cases hereunder enumerated, be civilly liable for 
any damage that may have been suffered by the corporation.  
 
a) Mismanagement, grave abuse of discretion, infidelity in the conduct 
of fiduciary relations, or gross neglect in the performance of duties;  
b) Dishonesty, corruption, or any act involving moral turpitude; and   
c) Any act or performance tending to prejudice or impair the substantial 
rights of the government and the corporation’s stockholders.  
 


27 | P a g e  
 
SEC. 32. Timeline of Organization of the PIMC. – The PIMC shall 
be instituted and organized within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act.  
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
THE ICT ACADEMY 
 
SEC. 33. Establishment of the ICT Academy and Its Purposes. – 
The DICT shall reorganize and restructure its ICT Literacy and Competency 
Development Bureau in order to establish and develop rules and policies for 
the operations of an ICT Academy, herein after referred to as Academy that 
shall have the following purposes:  
 
a) To be the National Center of Excellence for ICT Education;  
b) To promote education for purposes of enhancing the nation’s labor 
capacity in relation to the most relevant and updated data on local and 
international skills supply and demand;  
c) To promote, foster and conduct quality ICT education for the 
capacity development of all citizens;  
d) To foster and support the strategic goals of the national ICT 
development agenda, as provided in Republic Act No. 10844 through data 
collection and globally competitive ICT skills development programs and for 
other purposes;  
e) To conduct programs and activities for the capacity development of 
all citizens to be able to gain globally competitive skills and drive inclusive 
economic growth;  
f) Create and foster partnerships with different persons, entities, and 
institutions for purposes of developing and updating the Academy’s 
resources, its ICT curriculum, modules, and pedagogical approaches;  
g) To promote gender parity through technology education;  
h) To ensure continuous learning and development of educators on 
current ICT trends;  
i) To promote immersion of learners to industry partners whether it be 
private or in the public sector;  
j) To establish and implement a scholarship system offered to qualified 
individuals in training and programs under the Academy or other activities 
approved by the DICT Secretary;  
k) To facilitate the screening, admission process and monitoring of all 
admitted scholars;  
l) To spearhead academic research and development related to ICT;  


28 | P a g e  
 
m) To regularly assess the state of the country in terms of comparative 
ICT skills and performance and suggest responsive policies to address 
concerns; and  
n) In collaboration with the Department of Education, Commission on 
Higher Education (CHED), Technical and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA), SUCs, and local universities and colleges, develop curricula and 
courses for learners and students on ICT, to upskill the ICT proficiency and 
competency of individuals.  
 
SEC. 34. Satellite Units. – The Academy may establish satellite units 
in the existing DICT offices in particular regions, provinces or municipalities 
in the country. To ensure broader access to quality ICT trainings and skills 
development and to further enhance the capability of the Academy to attain 
its purposes, additional satellite units may be established upon determination 
of the DICT and in coordination with the CHED and the TESDA.  
 
SEC. 35. Access and Admission. – The Academy shall be accessible 
to all citizens regardless of skill, age, gender, religious belief, economic status, 
ethnicity, physical disability, political opinion or affiliation.  
 
The DICT, through the Academy, shall promulgate an admission 
process that is equitable and inclusive to ensure that citizens shall have equal 
access to ICT education and that the broadest base of the citizenry shall have 
ICT education.  
 
SEC. 36. Finances. – The operations of the Academy shall be 
financially supported by a budget from the DICT, reasonable fees and dues 
collected, as well as through donations, in accordance with applicable laws 
and rules.  
 
Donations collected shall be held in a fund, to be administered in trust 
by a Committee created by the DICT for such purpose. The fund shall in no 
case be impaired. Donations received shall be used only for the purposes for 
which they were donated, subject to accounting and auditing rules and 
regulations.  
 
SEC. 37. Partnerships. – The Academy may form partnerships with 
different educational institutions, technical and standards organizations, and 
private entities for purposes of achieving the goals of the Academy.  
 


29 | P a g e  
 
Partnerships may be in the form of research collaborations, resource 
sharing, module and training development, faculty exchange standards 
development, training collaborations, internships, apprenticeships, and other 
similar forms.  
 
All partnerships to be entered into by the Academy shall be in 
accordance with the provisions of this law, and approved by the DICT 
Secretary. There shall be no disbursement of any funds by the Academy or 
the government for the purpose of establishing these partnerships.  
 
The Academy shall be empowered to accredit courses offered by 
educational institutions, private or public, following strict competency 
standards and guidelines developed by the DICT.  
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
 
SEC. 38. Transitory Provisions. – In accordance with the objectives 
of this Act, the DICT, in coordination with relevant government agencies and 
instrumentalities, as well as private stakeholders and civic organizations, shall 
study, formulate, and implement a master plan for the transition of the 
government and its provision of services in the digital age.  
 
All new positions created under this Act shall be prioritized, subject to 
the review and approval of the DBM. Moreover, until such time that the 
government shall have completed the transition in accordance with the 
objectives of this Act, all government activities covered under this Act shall 
be conducted in the manner provided for under existing laws and rules.  
 
The government shall complete the transition within a period of three 
(3) years from the effectivity of this Act.  
 
SEC. 39. Regular Status Reports. – All agencies, offices, and 
instrumentalities of the national and local governments covered under this Act 
shall submit to the President, both Houses of Congress, and DICT, an annual 
report on the status of implementation of this Act. These reports shall likewise 
be made publicly available on and through the e-portals.  
 
The status report shall include the following:  


30 | P a g e  
 
 
a) The status of the implementation of electronic government initiatives 
in accordance to its approved ICT Plan;  
b) Compliance by the agency with this Act; and  
c) Performance in delivering programs through the e-government to 
constituencies.  
 
SEC. 40. E-Government Interoperability Fund. – An E-Government 
Interoperability Fund (EIF) is hereby created as a special account in the 
general fund to be managed by the DICT for the implementation of the EGMP, 
E-Government Programs and Government Websites, including ILGU system, 
among others, which will be sourced from the Spectrum User’s Fees collected 
by the NTC, subject to applicable laws, rules, and regulations.  
 
SEC. 41. Appropriations and Funding. – The amount necessary to 
cover the initial implementation of this Act in the national government level 
shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the DICT, NTC, 
NPC, and such other national government agency, office, or instrumentality 
concerned. Thereafter, such sums as maybe needed for its continued 
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act, 
and in the corporate operating budget of the PIMC.  
 
The DICT is also authorized to receive grants and donations for the 
implementation of this Act, subject to the existing budgeting, accounting, 
auditing, and other pertinent laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines.  
 
The amounts necessary to implement this Act in the local government 
level shall be charged against the funds of the local government unit 
concerned.  
 
SEC. 42. Application of RA No. 11312. – All ICT employees across 
all government agencies and instrumentalities, providing technical support to 
the implementation of all E-Government Programs in their respective 
agencies, shall be covered by RA No. 11312, otherwise known as the Magna 
Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and other S & T Personnel in the 
Government, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 8439.  
 
SEC. 43. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within one 
hundred-eighty (180) from the effectivity of this Act, the DICT, in 
coordination with relevant offices, agencies, and instrumentalities of the 


31 | P a g e  
 
national and local government, shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations to properly and efficiently implement the provisions of this Act.  
 
SEC. 44. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on E-
Governance. – There shall be created a Joint Congressional Oversight 
Committee on E-Governance (JCOCEG) which shall monitor and ensure the 
effective implementation of this Act. It shall determine weaknesses and 
loopholes in the law, recommend the necessary remedial legislation or 
administrative measures and perform such other duties and functions as may 
be necessary to attain the objectives of this Act.  
 
The JCOCEG shall be composed of three (3) members from the Senate 
and three (3) members from the House of Representatives, in addition to the 
Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology and the 
Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and 
Communications Technology: Provided, That one (1) member of each 
chamber’s nominees shall come from the ranks of the minority party.  
 
The Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology 
and the Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on 
Information and Communications Technology shall act as co-Chairpersons of 
the JCOCEG. The minority members nominated by both the Senate and the 
House of Representatives shall act as co-Vice Chairpersons. The Secretariat 
of the JCOCEG shall come from the existing Secretariat personnel of the 
Committee on Science and Technology of the Senate and the Committee on 
Information 
and 
Communications 
Technology 
of 
the 
House 
of 
Representatives. The JCOCEG shall have its own independent counsel.  
 
The JCOCEG shall exist for a period not exceeding five (5) years from 
the effectivity of this Act. Thereafter, its oversight functions shall be exercised 
by the Senate Committee on Science and Technology and the House of 
Representatives 
Committee 
on 
Information 
and 
Communications 
Technology, acting separately.  
 
SEC. 45. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act 
shall be declared invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect 
the validity of the remaining provisions of this Act.  
 
SEC. 46. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees, letters of 
instruction and other presidential issuances which are incompatible or 


32 | P a g e  
 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed 
accordingly.  
 
SEC. 47. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
 
Approved,