Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 2468

Introduced by Representative GIRLIE E. VELOSO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The 1987 Philippine Constitution vests that sovereignty resides in the people and all government
authority emanates from them. This philosophical bedrock affirms that goverment is not an
authority above the people, but a public instrument created by the people to serve their interests and
needs. Yet in practice, the system has too often reversed this by requiring the people to work for the
government instead of the government working for the people.

Currently, the pursuit of essential government services and documents has long been synonymous
with an arduous and often humiliating ordeal for ordinary citizens. What should be a straightforward
interaction with the State frequently devolves into a multi-day saga of lost wages, interminable
queues, redundant travel between disparate agencies, and the Sisyphean task of gathering documents
that the government itself already possesses. The burden, invariably, falls squarely on the shoulders
of the citizen, who bears the cost in precious time, hard-carned money, and eroded dignity.

‘This pervasive inefficiency is a profound injustice. No citizen shall be compelled to act as courier
between government offices for requirements the State can obtain or validate internally.
Government transactions shall be processed through a single application, a unified payment, and a
lead agency accountable for coordinating all backend processes. ‘The fragmented, manual, and
outdated system that has historically resisted evolution largely due to the absence of a legal
imperative for comprehensive reform also breeds a culture of distrust and disempowerment,
reducing citizens from the very reason for government's existence to mere supplicants navigating an
‘opaque bureaucratic maze.

Therefore, this Bill secks a moral and structural correction by fundamentally reorienting government
service delivery by shifting the onerous burden of coordination from the citizen to the state. It
proposes the institutionalization of a citizen-centered service delivery framework through the


Pambansang Ugnayan para sa Serbisyong Organisado (PUSO). The PUSO aims to modernize
governance and public administration through interoperability, secure data sharing, and unified
service delivery, anchored on a government-wide digital infrastructure that actively does the legwork,
allowing citizens to apply once, pay once, and conclude their transactions with efficiency and dignity.
This Bil, also known as the “Gobyernong may PUSO Act,” is founded on the principle that
governance must be fair and public service must be humane. A government that truly has a heart is
defined by how seamlessly, responsibly, and compassionately it serves its citizen.

Beyond administrative reform, this Bill serves as a strategic investment in the Filipino people and the
future of governance. The long-term returns on investment from this legislation are quantifiable,
multi-sectoral, and national in scope. By eliminating duplicate paperwork, manual processes, and
unnecessary travel, the Bill will significantly streamline government services, reduce operational
costs, and free up valuable resources. Real-time cross-checking and secure data validation will
drastically deter fraud and abuse, fostering greater integrity in public transactions. Time saved
translates into increased productivity and economic participation. Businesses will benefit from faster
permit and license processing, stimulating economic growth. Citizens will no longer be subjected to
humiliating bureaucratic hurdles. The PUSO framework will save them time, money, and stress,
restoring their trust and sense of dignity. ‘The Unified Service Fee mechanism not only simplifies
payments for the public, but also preserves government revenue, which has long been implied as a
cote justification for maintaining the fragmented and manual system. Through the rationalization of
redundant roles and upskilling of personnel, this Act also allows existing manpower to be reallocated
toward higher-value roles. The Bill propels the Philippine bureaucracy into the digital age, fostering a
cohesive, interoperable, and data-driven government capable of responding more effectively to the
needs of its constituents. Integrated data systems speed up identity and record verification, especially
during crises. While the upfront costs for infrastructure, development, and training are significant,
this non-recurrent investment in maintenance, updates, and cloud operations will be far less costly
than the cumulative human labor expenditures, logistical expenses, operational overhead, and
administrative waste perpetuated by the current system.

This Bill is a testament to the belief that government exists to serve its people, not to burden them.
It is a legislative commitment to a "Gobyernong may PUSO" or a government with a heart, that
respects its citizens’ time, protects their energy, and earns their trust through efficient, transparent,
and dignified service delivery.

In view of the foregoing, support for the enactment of this measure is carnestly sought.

REP. GIRLIE. VELOSO
Malasakit@BafAnihan Partylist


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No:_2468

Introduced by Representative GIRLIE E. VELOSO

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PAMBANSANG UGNAYAN PARA SA SERBISYONG
ORGANISADO (PUSO) AS THE GOVERNMENT-WIDE COORDINATION
FRAMEWORK TO INSTITUTIONALIZE CITIZEN-CENTERED SERVICE

DELIVERY THROUGH DATA SHARING, INTEROPERABILITY, AND BACKEND

INTEGRATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Gobyernong may PUSO
Act”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State affirms that sovereignty resides in the
people and that all government authority emanates from them. Accordingly, it is the policy of the
State to ensure that public service delivery upholds the principles of transparency, accountability,
efficiency, and respect for the dignity of every citizen. ‘The State shall institutionalize a citizen-
centered service delivery framework that shifts the burden of inter-agency coordination from the
public to the government itself. To achieve this, the State shall establish a secure, integrated, and
interoperable digital infrastructure that enables seamless backend coordination, real-time data
sharing, and internal verification of records among agencies. Public transactions shall be processed
through a single point of application, a unified payment, and a designated lead agency accountable
for coordinating all backend processes.

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


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(2) Pambansang Ugnayan para sa Serbisyong Organisado (PUSO) refers to the government-
wide digital infrastructure established under this Act to enable secure, auditable, and
interoperable backend coordination, data validation, and inter-agency service delivery.

(b) Backend Coordination refers to all administrative, technical, and procedural interactions
among government agencies necessary to process a citizen’s request or transaction,
without requiring the citizen to act as intermediary.

(© Interoperability refers to the capacity of different government systems, applications, and
agencies to securely exchange, validate, and use information in a coordinated manner.

(@ Public Transaction refers to any interaction between a natural ot juridical person and a
government entity involving a request for service, benefit, authorization, compliance,
verification, or regulatory fulfilment, including, but not limited to, applications for
documents, permits, licenses, subsidies, clearances, or any other form of public assistance
or regulatory approval.

(©) Unified Service Fee refers to the consolidated and transparent payment collected by the
lead agency from the citizen to cover the total cost of a public transaction involving
multiple agencies.

SECTION 4. Institutionalizing Government-Wide Coordination Through the
Pambansang Ugnayan para sa Setbisyong Organisado (PUSO). — To operationalize citizen-
centered service delivery, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT),
in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the National
Privacy Commission (NPC), and other relevant agencies, shall lead the development,
implementation, and continuous digitalization of a government-wide backend system for inter-
agency coordination and internal data validation, hereinafter referred to as the Pambansang Ugnayan
para sa Serbisyong Organisado or PUSO.

(@) The PUSO shall serve as the central digital infrastructure that enables backend
coordination, secure data validation, and unified service delivery in response to public
transactions across all levels of government, while upholding the autonomy, integrity, and
legal custodianship of agency-managed data.

(b) The PUSO shall support, at a minimum:

1. Real-time data validation across authorized agencies, using secure queries and agency-
defined protocols to confirm the authenticity, status, or availability of a document or
record.

2. Centralized and secure logging and auditability of all access, queries, actions, and
override activity, which shall be accessible to relevant oversight bodies and may be
made available to the data subject upon lawful request, in accordance with applicable
laws;

3. Role-based authentication and access control, defining which agencies and personnel
may initiate or respond to validation requests based on legal mandate, transaction
scope, or prior consent; and


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4. Standardized data formats, application programming interfaces (APIs), and
integration protocols to ensure interoperability, backward compatibility, scalability,
and long-term system coherence across government platforms.

(©) All data shall remain under the control and custody of the originating agency. No data
shall be transferred, copied, or exposed beyond what is strictly necessary to validate a
claim or fulfill a public transaction, as determined by law, regulation, or informed
consent.

(@ While the initiation of a public transaction shall be deemed as consent to backend
coordination for the purpose of fulfilling that transaction, the transmission of full records
shall not be the default. Agencies shall limit data sharing to the minimum necessary to
process the transaction, and may transmit full records only when such transmission is
demonstrably necessary, consistent with applicable laws, or as may be further defined in
the implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

(© The DICT shall ensure the provision, availability, and continued development of the
necessary digital infrastructure to support the PUSO, including but not limited to reliable
network connectivity; secure, scalable, and redundant physical or cloud-based servers and
data storage systems; automated backup and recovery mechanisms; cybersecutity
protocols; and interoperable software platforms consistent with the standards established
under this Act.

(8 The PUSO shall serve as the primary infrastructure for backend coordination.
Institutional or manual coordination mechanisms may be utilized as complementary
measutes, but shall not substitute or delay the digital modernization mandated under this
Act. The DICT, in coordination with relevant agencies, shall ensure the alignment and
phased integration of all institutional arrangements into the PUSO, supported by
sustained infrastructure investment, time-bound implementation schedules, and defined
performance indicators toward full interoperability and automation.

SECTION 5. Support and Coordination of Participating Agencies. —To ensure
effective implementation and system-wide alignment, the DICT shall be supported by the following
agencies, in accordance with their respective mandates:

(@ The NPC to ensure compliance with data privacy laws, safeguard citizen rights, and
enforce lawful access, consent, and breach management protocols;

() The DILG to facilitate the alignment, integration, and capacity-building of local
government units (LGUs) into the national infrastructure;

(© The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to support identity authentication, record
standardization, and integration of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) across
participating platforms;

(@ The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to align funding priorities, release
mechanisms, and budgetary support necessary to implement this Act;

(©) The Civil Service Commission (CSC) to regulate, guide, and ensure proper human
resource adjustments, workforce transitions, position reclassification, and redeployment


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of personnel in support of PUSO, in accordance with civil service laws, merit principles,
and institutional readiness.

(All other national government agencies, government-owned and -controlled corporations
(GOCCS), and LGUs to align their systems, respond to backend verification and
coordination requests, and participate in the PUSO as required by the IRR.

SECTION 6. Coverage and Compliance. — This Act shall apply to all national
government agencies, GOCCs, LGUs, and other instrumentullties of the government involved in the
delivery of public services, including, but not limited to, the issuance of documents, permits,
licenses, authorizations, clearances, and other regulatory or benefit-rclated transactions, whether
physical or digital in nature. All covered institutions shall ensure that their systems, processes, and
service delivery mechanisms are interoperable and aligned with the PUSO. Compliance shall be
mandatory within the timeframe and transition guidelines set by the IRR.

SECTION 7. Non-Compliance and Sanctions. — Failure to adopt, align with, ot
integrate into the PUSO within the period prescribed by the IRR shall constitute a violation of this
Act. Agencies or units found to be non-compliant may be subject to:

(@) Administrative sanctions in accordance with civil service rules, budget circulars, o
relevant agency regulations;

(b) Funding consequences, including the suspension, realignment, or withholding of digital
infrastructure allocations or interoperability-related support; or

(© Other penalties as may be provided under existing laws, rules, or regulations.

‘The IRR shall detail the levels of non-compliance and the corresponding sanctions, ensuring
that enforcement mechanisms are responsive, equitable, and proportional to the degree of violation.

SECTION 8. Support Mechanisms. — To promote inclusive and sustainable integration,
the DICT, in coordination with the DILG, DBM, and other relevant agencies, shall provide support
mechanisms such as:

(a) Technical assistance for data governance, system integration, and cybersecurity;

(b) Capacity-building programs for Information and Communications Technology officers
and frontline staff,

(© Access to shared infrastructure or cloud-based solutions for resource-constrained
agencies;

(@) Grants or realigned funding for infrastructure upgrades, subject to existing laws and
regulations; and

(© Transitional arrangements to enable compliance within the prescribed timeline.

SECTION 9. Data Protection, Access Controls, and Privacy Safeguards. — All
coordination and data-sharing activities under this Act shall be governed by the principles of data


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minimization, lawful access, transparency, and accountability. The rights of citizens to privacy,
informed consent, and data security shall be upheld at all times. To this end, the following safeguards
shall apply:

(@) Lawful and Purpose-Specific Access. Agencies may only access, validate, or exchange
data when necessary to complete a specific, legally authorized transaction or service, and
only to the extent required for that purpose.

(b) Informed Consent and Lawful Use. When a citizen initiates a transaction, their informed
consent to data validation and backend coordination shall be deemed given for the
purpose of completing that specific service. Any access or use of personal data beyond
the scope of the transaction shall require separate consent, unless otherwise permitted
under existing laws, such as in cases of public health emergencies, court orders, or fraud
investigations.

(© Centralized Logging and Anditability. AU data access, queries, and inter-agency
exchanges shall be recorded in a secure, tamper-proof log accessible to authorized
oversight bodies and the data subject.

(@ Breach Management and Accountability. Any unauthorized access, misuse, or breach
involving data exchanged through the PUSO shall be reported within prescribed periods
and investigated in accordance with applicable laws, including administrative and
criminal liability where warranted.

‘The NPC shall exercise oversight over all privacy-related aspects of this Act and shall assist
in the development of protocols, safeguards, and compliance mechanisms consistent with applicable
privacy and data protection laws.

SECTION 10. Voluntary Participation by Co-Equal Branches and Independent
Constitutional Bodies. — The Judiciary, Congress, and independent constitutional commissions
are encouraged to align with the principles and infrastructure of this Act, where feasible, in a manner
consistent with their institutional independence, intemal rules, and operational discretion.
Coordination may be established through mutually agreed protocols or separate implementing
mechanisms that safeguard autonomy while enabling citizen-centered service delivery.

SECTION 11. Unified Service Fee and Rationalized Revenue Collection. — To
protect government revenue while streamlining service delivery:

@ For any public transaction involving multiple agencies, only one consolidated payment
shall be required through a unified service fee, regardless of the number of participating
agencies. The payment shall be made to the designated lead agency responsible for
processing the transaction and coordinating all backend services.


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(b) The unified service fee shall be subject to backend allocation, with each participating
agency receiving its corresponding share in accordance with existing laws, regulations, ot
updated revenue-sharing formulas as may be prescribed.

(©) The unified service fee shall also be clearly broken down and disclosed to the citizen at
the point of application or public transaction, identifying the specific components or
charges attributable to each participating agency.

(@ No agency shall impose additional, duplicate, or hidden charges on top of the unified
service fee unless specifically authorized by law and disclosed prior to application.

(©) The implementing agency shall establish a centralized revenue reconciliation system to
track, audit, and ensure timely remittance of each agency’s share.

(Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a waiver of the authority of the State to impose
and collect lawful fees for services rendered, The adoption of consolidated service
delivery mechanisms shall not diminish or impair the fiscal entitlements of participating
agencies.

(® The rationalization, reallocation, or adjustment of service fees under this Act shall be
undertaken in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and shall be guided
by considerations of cost-efficiency, administrative practicality, and fiscal sustainability.

SECTION 12. Human Resource Transition and Workforce Repurposing. — To
support the implementation of this Act:

(@) All covered agencies shall identify personnel currently performing tasks that will become
redundant or automated due to the implementation of this Act, and shall take
appropriate measures to tepurpose such personnel for functions relevant to digital
service delivery, backend coordination, or technical operations under the PUSO.

(b) The CSC, in coordination with the DICT, the DILG, and the DBM, shall issue the
necessary guidelines for the reclassification, redeployment, or upskilling of affected
personnel, consistent with applicable civil service laws, rules, and regulations.

(© No personnel shall be separated from service solely by reason of the automation or
system integration carried out pursuant to this Act.

SECTION 13. Prohibited Acts. — ‘The following acts are prohibited under this Act and
shall be subject to appropriate administrative, civil, or criminal penalties, as may be provided by
applicable laws, rules, and regulations:

(@) Requiting any individual to personally obtain or submit documents or data that are
already available through the PUSO or authorized backend coordination mechanisms
established under this Act;

(b) Accessing, using, or disclosing personal or institutional data beyond what is necessary for
the specific, authorized purpose of the public transaction, or without proper authority,
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(©) Using the interoperability infrastructure or coordination mechanisms for any
unauthorized purpose, including monitoring, profiling, or data matching not expressly
permitted by law;

(d) Tampering with, destroying, or unlawfully disabling any part of the shated infrastructure,
security protocols, access logs, or backend coordination mechanisms, resulting in service
disruption, data loss, or unauthorized access; or

(© Failure by a responsible official or designated personnel to report a confirmed security
breach of unauthorized access incident involving systems covered by this Act, when such
breach falls within their reporting duties and is known or reasonably should have been
known to them, in violation of applicable protocols.

() Imposing additional or duplicate fees for services or coordination steps already covered
by the unified service fee, in violation of the prescribed fee structure.

Violations under this Section shall be classified by severity in the IRR, which shall prescribe
the corresponding administrative, civil, ot criminal penalties.

SECTION 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~ Within ninety (90) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the DICT shall, in consultation with the DILG, the NPC, the DBM, the PSA,
and other concerned government agencies and stakeholders, promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 15. Appropriations. — The amount necessary for the initial implementation of
this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the DICT, and other concerned
implementing agencies. Thereafter, the funds necessary for the continued implementation of this
Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

The DICT, in coordination with the DBM, shall prepare a multi-year implementation and
investment plan to cover the costs of infrastructure, system development, integration support,
capacity-building, maintenance, and cybersecurity. Priority shall be given to resource-constrained
agencies and LGUs to ensure equitable compliance and access across all levels of government.

SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed ot
modified accordingly.

SECTION 17. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any section of this Act shall be
deemed unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions shall not be affected and shall
remain in force and in effect.


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SECTION 18. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general
circulation, whichever comes eatlier.

Approved.

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