Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Twentieth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 2967 
Introduced by Representatives Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Yedda 
Marie K. Romualdez, Andrew Julian K. Romualdez and Jude A. Acidre 
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 a 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. The digitalization of services is evidently the most efficient solution 
to bridging 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. 
This bill seeks to establish an integrated, interconnected, and interoperable 
information, resource-sharing and communications network which shall include 
internal records, management information systems, information database, and 
digital portals spanning the entirety of the national and local government for the 
delivery of public services. Additionally, as this measure integrates and 
maximizes technological advancements by establishing stronger governance 
structures and empowering citizens through information and communications 
technology (ICT) education, it ensures that the nation meets the changing needs 
of its citizens as it transitions towards digital governance.  
August 4, 2025
5:00 pm


2 
Patterned after the approved Third Reading version of the measure filed 
during the 19th Congress, this bill proposes the following reforms: 
•
Digital Transformation. Encourages the use of the internet, intranet,
and emerging technologies to deliver citizen-centric government
information and services.
•
Digitized Government Services. Mandates the formulation of a master
plan and framework for the development of all electronic government
service processes and moves away from traditional paper-based systems
and workflows, transforming how government functions to make
processes more efficient and accessible.
•
Strengthened Government Agencies. Creates (i) a corporation
focused on managing and optimizing ICT assets and infrastructures; (ii)
an academy aimed at providing quality ICT education and fostering a
competitive labor force; and (iii) a special account in the general fund
for the implementation of ICT-related programs and services.
•
Government-Private Sector Cooperation. Supports partnerships
between the public and private sectors for resource sharing and
technological advancements, fostering collaboration to achieve best
practices.
•
Ensured Data Security and Privacy. Mandates strict adherence to and
compliance with laws on data privacy and security to ensure that the
delivery of digital services is conducted in a manner consistent with
laws regarding the protection of data privacy, cybersecurity, national
security, records retention, freedom of information, open data, access
for persons with disabilities, and other relevant laws.
 In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ 
YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ 
ANDREW JULIAN K.  ROMUALDEZ 
JUDE A. ACIDRE 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Twentieth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 2967 
Introduced by Representatives Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Yedda 
Marie K. Romualdez, Andrew Julian K. Romualdez and Jude A. Acidre 
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 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 


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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 


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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; 
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. 


4 
 
          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 micro-services 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 that the incapacity or destruction or interference with such 
system and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national or 


5 
 
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;  


6 
 
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 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 


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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;  
e)      In consultation with the DICT, establishing and implementing 


8 
 
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    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 


9 
 
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; (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 


10 
 
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 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 


11 
 
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 


12 
 
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 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 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 


13 
 
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. 
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 


14 
 
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 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 


15 
 
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; 


16 
 
c) 
Integrated 
Government 
Network. 
– 
An 
integrated, 
dedicated, 
interconnected, interoperable, secure and resilient government network, to 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. 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;  


17 
 
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). 
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, 


18 
 
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 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.  
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 


19 
 
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 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 


20 
 
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 


21 
 
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 
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 


22 
 
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. 
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 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   


23 
 
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. 
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 


24 
 
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.  
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 


25 
 
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 


26 
 
integrated with agency strategic and operational planning processes; 
and  
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 


27 
 
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 lnfostructure Management Corporation 
(PIMC), which shall be government-owned and controlled corporation attached 
to the DICT. The legal existence of the PIMC shall be 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 


28 
 
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; 
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 


29 
 
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 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       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 


30 
 
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 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 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 


31 
 
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 


32 
 
stockholders. 
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 


33 
 
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;  
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 


34 
 
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.  
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 


35 
 
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: 
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 


36 
 
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 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. 


37 
 
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 
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. 


38 
 
Approved,