| The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an executive order urging all departments of government to transfer all their data, systems and processes to the DICT to improve public service and enhance cyber security.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, June 13, DICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima said the move is one of DICT’s initiatives aimed at establishing a single portal within the agency where citizens can have online access to services of various government departments.
“People need no longer go from place to place just to contact all these departments. Through our portal, one stop shop portal, pwede na ang tao maski sa probinsya, use our portal to transact, say for example, with the NBI, the BIR and other government agencies,” Salalima said.
With regard to cybersecurity, Salalima said the DICT reorganized and invigorated the Cybersecurity Investigation Coordinating Center, which he chairs.
DICT is the one in-charge of handling different agencies of government on how to mitigate, prevent and deal with cybersecurity and cybercrime issues.
During Monday’s Independence Day celebration, the DICT launched the free Wi-Fi project along EDSA to give the public wider access to fast telecommunication services.
The Wi-Fi project will be implemented not just in Metro Manila but also throughout the countryside to bring opportunities to the people in the rural areas, according to Salalima.
“The plan is to put up all Wi-Fi facilities in sites. So that po ‘yung citizens natin na nagta-travel along EDSA will have access to the telecommunication services so that in the event siguro kung medyo nale-late because of the traffic, they can communicate to their home or to their offices para malaman kung saan na sila,” he said.
Palace welcomes Philippines’ bright investment prospects
Also during the same press briefing, Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella welcomed the report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its World Investment Report 2017 putting the Philippines in the list of most promising investment destinations in the Asian region.
He also noted the UNCTAD report saying the country’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow in 2016 has recorded an increase of 60 percent amounting to $8 billion.
“Among salient points, it is the reduced red tape and efficient delivery of government services that are the hallmark of the current government,” he said.
Increasing employment rate in April 2017, estimated at 94.3 percent, is also a welcome development for the Palace.
“The April 2017 Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has projected an increase of 94.3 percent in employment rate for the month of April, higher than the April 2016 employment rate of 93.9 percent,” Abella said.
Similarly, the unemployment rate is projected to reach 5.7 percent for the month of April, lower than the April 2016 unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, he added.
Also, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has reported a growth in the overall confidence index (CI) of 13.1 percent for the second quarter of 2017, according to the Palace official.
Abella also said there is soaring consumer optimism due to the improvements in the peace and order situation in the country, higher salary, stronger business activity, increase of available jobs and number of employed individuals and effective government policies such as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and increased pension for retirees.
He also gave an update on the ongoing military operations Marawi City, stressing government troops continue to gain foothold into the inner portion of the enemy-held areas. Enemy resistance also continues to dwindle, he said.
To date, there are 1,618 civilians rescued by authorities.###PND |
