Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Vineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 2963

Introduced by Representative JOEY SARTE SALCEDA

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE E-GOVERNMENT, DEFINING ITS POWERS
AND FUNCTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, the guide for the country’s development,
recognizes the potential of maximizing information and communications technology (ICT) to
promote efficient, clean and people-centered governance. It calls for the passage of the E-
Government Act to "enable interoperability of government data and processes to increase
efficiency and economy in the delivery of services."

“The pandemic emphasized that e-government is not only a potential to be optimized but
a necessity to be met. The demand for electronically-accessible digital transactions grew as
lockdowns forced the public to stay indoors even as transactions with the government had to
be continued. As the public has begun to see the conveniences of electronically-available
services, the proverbial toothpaste could no longer be put back into the tube, Government
services must now be increasingly digital, and not revert to more paper-and-pen pre-pandemic
processes.

Recognizing the call of the public for more convenient, digitally-accessible, and user-
friendly government processes, this measure mandates the creation of an E-Government Master
Plan with the following programs: Philippine Government Interoperability Framework;
Database and Other Resources Sharing Network; Archives and Records Management
Information System; Full Disclosure and Transparency System; Online Payment System;
Citizen Frontline Delivery Services; Public Financial Management; Procurement System; and
Cybersecurity Protection and Data Privacy Measures.

By laying the foundations for full digitalization, the E- Government Bill is expected to
reduce costs and burdens not only for the transacting public, but also for the government.
Moreover, it reduces the space for red tape and eliminates opportunity for graft and corrupt
practices; thereby promoting good governance.

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In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is eamestly sought.

JOEYSARTE SALCEDA

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 296 3

Introduced by Representative JOEY SARTE SALCEDA

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE E-GOVERNMENT, DEFINING ITS POWERS
AND FUNCTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. ~ This Act shall be known as the “E-Government Act”.
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ The State hereby adopts the following policies:

(a) The State shall provide effective leadership for the development and promotion of
electronic government services and processes;

(b) The State shall provide increased opportunities for citizen participation in
government;

(c) The State shall promote inter-agency collaboration in providing electronic
government services;

(d) The State shall promote the use of the internet and emerging technologies within
and across government agencies to provide citizen-centric government information and
services;

(c) The State shall ensure that costs and burdens are reduced for businesses and other
government entities:

(£) The State shall promote better-informed decision-making by policymakers;

(g) The State shall promote access to high quality government information and services
across multiple channels; and

(h) The State shall make the government more transparent and accountable.

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SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:

(a) Information and Communications Technology or ICT shall mean the totality of
electronic means to access, create, collect, store, process, receive, transmit, present and
disseminate information.

(b) Electronic Government or E-Government shall mean the use of ICT by the
government and the public to enhance access to and delivery of government services to bring
about efficient, responsive, ethical, accountable and transparent government service.

(c) ICT-Enabled Services shall mean those engaged in providing services that require
the intrinsic use of ICTs including engincering or architectural design, informatics service
providers, offshoring and outsourcing service providers such as call centers, back office
processing, software development, medical or legal transcription, animation, game
development, and other services that require the intrinsic use of a networked information
infrastructure.

(@ Chief Information Officer shall mean 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 and management of the agency's ICT systems and applications.

(e) Interoperability shall mean the ability of different operating and software systems,
applications, and services to communicate and exchange data in an accurate, effective, and
consistent manner.

SEC. 4. E-Government Master Plan. — The Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT) shall establish and promote an E-Government Master
Plan to encourage excellence in facilitating the development and enhancement of all E-
Government services and processes. The E-Government Master Plan shalll be reviewed and
revised every three years.

SEC. 5. E-Government Programs. ~ The E-Government Master Plan shall include the
following programs:

(a) Philippine Government Interoperability Framework. A framework shall be
developed to guide and govern basic technical and informational interoperability of
government ICT systems. Such framework shall guide all 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.

(b) Archives and Records Management Information System. A system shall be designed
to systematically and efficiently manage government documents and records. This includes the
digitization of paper-based documents and records and the development of systems that will
manage these documents, - from creation. routing, tracking, and archiving to disposal,~ while
adhering to existing policies, laws and the standards of the International Organization for
Standardization.

(©) Government Online Payment System. An Internet-based electronic payment facility
and gateway that will enable citizens and businesses to remit payments electronically to

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government agencies shall be created. It shall render services through various delivery
channels, which include debit instructions accounts (debit cards). credit instructions (credit
cards) and mobile wallets (SMS).

(d) Citizen Frontline Delivery Services. Services that are needed to facilitate business
registration-related transactions shall be made efficient by integrating all agencies involved in
business registration, such as the Department of Trade and Industry, Securities and Exchange
Commission, Cooperative Development Authority, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social
Security System, Home Development Mutual Fund, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation,
Local Government Units (LGs) and other permit/license-issuing agencies.

(e) Public Financial Management. Various financial systems in government such as
taxation, payment systems, accounting, business registries; shall be harmonized and managed.

(8 Procurement System. An online and real-time service that encompasses all
procurement processes involving bidding, contract agreements, and payment for services or
supplies shall also be developed.

The E-Government Master Plan shall likewise include the following:

(a) Inventory and purchase of hardware and software of all government offices:

(b) Utilization of servers, network connections and data centers in all government
offices:

(c) Security, disaster recovery plans and archiving considering existing services and
capabilities, as well as future information systems; and

(d) Standardization of systems across government agencies to promote interoperability
and database management.

SEC. 6. DICT Secretary as E-Government Head. ~ The Secretary of the DICT shall
head the E-Government initiative. The Secretary is expected to spearhead all aspects of
implementation of the E-Government Master Plan to catalyze the optimum use of ICT in
government to expand and improve public services, government operations and capabilities.

SEC. 7. Chief Information Officers. — Chief Information Officers shall be assigned and
deployed to national and key governmental units and perform the following functions:

(a) Advise agencies on how best to leverage ICTs to optimize the delivery of public
services, and achieve efficient and cost effective operations;

(b) Develop, maintain and manage the agency's information systems;

(c) Manage and supervise the implementation of ICT-based projects, systems and
processes;

(d) Formulate and implement processes in relation to the adoption of ICT-based
solutions as provided by the E-Government plan;

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(© Manage operational risks related to ICT in coordination with the agency's
management and stakeholders; and

(8) Ensure that the ICT programs and operations are consistent with national policies
and standards.

SEC. 8. Local Government Unit (LGU) ICT Officers. — ‘h LGU shall have an ICT
Officer assigned to manage and supervise its adoption of the E-Government Plan.

The LGU ICT Officer is likewise tasked to spearhead seminars and other means of
educating the community to maximize E-Government initiatives.

SEC. 9. E-Government Status Report. ~ Each agency and LGU shall compile and
submit an annual E-Government Status Report on

(a) the status of the implementation of electronic government initiatives;
(b) compliance by the agency with this Act; and
(c) performance in delivering programs through the E Government to constituencies.

SEC. 10. Implementing rules and regulations. ~ The Department of Information and
Communications Technology, 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 this Act within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 11. Separability clause. — If any provision of this Act shal] be declared invalid or
unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of
this Act.

SEC. 12. Repealing clause. ~ All provisions of laws, presidential decrees, letters of
instruction and other presidential issuances which are incompatible or inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 62. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen days (15) after its publication
in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

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