The Philippines turned heads
during the official launch of the Better Than Cash (BTC) Alliance in New York
City, where global leaders and country representatives hailed the Aquino
administration for its efforts to implement key reforms, particularly through
information and communications technology (ICT).
“We are generating a lot of
buzz in the international community, especially with the digital reform
measures we’re now instituting. Since the beginning of the Aquino
administration, we’ve emphasized our commitment to improved governance, and
it’s increasingly clear to us that ICT will be a valuable instrument in
achieving this,” Secretary of Budget and Management Florencio B. Abad said.
“We’re finally keeping up with
the international community and tapping the innovations at our disposal,” he
added.
During the BTC launch, heads of
state and other global leaders praised the Administration’s digitization
initiatives, including the shift to electronic banking for the distribution of
benefits to retired military and police personnel. Abad said that this will
enable beneficiaries to receive their pensions faster, as well as ensure that
only actual retirees will get their benefits. Additionally, Conditional Cash
Transfer (CCT) benefits—currently distributed through ATM accounts—may soon be
dispensed via mobile phone transactions.
The Administration has also
been at the helm of the Cashless Card Purchase system, which will be piloted by
the Department of National Defense (DND). This initiative will enable
government personnel to use a card linked to an online system for authorized purchases,
and allow easier monitoring of government transactions, facilitate accurate
liquidation and auditing, and ensure efficient and transparent financial
management in government agencies.
Another initiative is the
National Payroll System (NPS), which is currently tested by six pilot agencies,
namely, the departments of Budget and Management and Finance, National
Competitiveness Council, Commission on Audit, Bureau of Treasury, and
the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology
Institute (DOST-ASTI). The NPSaims to facilitate the shift from cash or check
payments to an electronic-based salary payment system, eliminating ghost
entries in the payroll and expediting the release of monthly salaries of
government employees.
Abad cited the example of the
unpaid social benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel of the Department
of Education, which prompted the agency to shift to the NPS for its personnel.
The Administration will also
set up the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) that
will allow the online procurement of supplies and services for government
offices.
“If implemented properly, the
digitization of major processes in the bureaucracy will translate to the
quicker and more efficient delivery of public goods and services. All of these
is central to President Aquino’s goal of reforming government to spur economic
growth and empower the poor and vulnerable,” Abad added.