Philippine government websites: An overview

Oneal Rosero

04/16/2011 | 08:10 PM

The Philippines has been on the World Wide Web since the early 90s. MozCom was the first commercially available Internet provider in the Philippines, starting in 1994.

In early 2000, via the Electronic Commerce Act or Republic Act 8792, the Philippine government mandated that every department should have a presence on the web. This was to allow the public access to information as well as a means to communicate with their duly elected politicians.

There are different levels of web presence required of the government. The hierarchy, from the most basic to the highest, is:

• Emerging Web Presence level could be just a simple static website with details of the respective agency and contact information.
  
• Enhanced Web Presence includes regularly updated data, a portal to other departments or government agencies, and a section where users can download documents.
  
• Interactive Web Presence means more dynamic websites. Information must be updated on a daily or weekly basis. Documents and forms can be downloaded before submitting them to the agency. Search features should also be available.
  
• Transactional Web Presence means the user can perform secure transactions completely on the site, without the need for filling out paper forms and documents.
  
• The fifth and most important level is Fully Integrated Web Presence. Here the government agency should be able to provide all requirements through two-way communication such email or instant messaging. There should be social networking information, and documents and forms should be available from a single website. This gives the public a direct means of sending feedback, and increases opportunities for almost instantaneous responses from the agency in question.
  

At this point, many departments just barely qualify for the third level, while a few are already exploring the fourth level. Very few governments around the world have the equivalent of the fifth level of web presence.

All government websites operate under guidelines set by the Office of the President to standardize the quality of government web presence. This is implemented and monitored by the Department of Trade and Industry (http://dti.gov.ph). These are followed according to the different types of service provided by the department, which include the agency working with the public, another government agency or a business. Some departments already allow applications online, filing or permits and payment. E-commerce services are also in place for the convenience of businesses and corporations. The standardization allows the agencies to scale their deployment on the web in phases, which ensures that they are able to bring the best service without unnecessary expense or inconvenience to the public.

In recent months, certain government agencies have proven to be valuable in providing information to the public. Such services are useful particularly in times of crisis, both natural and man-made, such as war in countries where there are many Filipinos, or random natural calamities. Part of the government’s job is to make information available to the public. In the past, this was done through TV, radio or printed newspapers. However this means that the information is at least a few hours old. The Internet makes all information available almost in real time, making it the ideal tool in reporting news as it happens, not as it happened hours ago.

Any Filipino citizen should know where to look for information regarding our government. You need look no further than The Official Website of the Republic of the Philippines (http://www.gov.ph). This site is a portal to other government websites and is managed at the Office of the President of the Philippines. It includes news reports, official press releases and a directory of other government websites. The government website directory includes the Office of the President (http://president.gov.ph) and the Office of the Vice President (http://ovp.gov.ph).

But due to the recent earthquake in Japan, many citizens are questioning the capability of our government to react to a natural calamity of that magnitude. The official website of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOLCS (http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph) provides information on disasters arising from volcanic eruptions, earthquake and tsunami. PHIVOLCS, meanwhile, operates under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) (http://dost.gov.ph).

Since the civil war in Libya started in February, thousands of Overseas Filipino Workers have been clamoring to return to the Philippines. The unstable political climate in the Middle East highlights the need for a single source of information for OFWs and their families. There are a number of government agencies working together to help these displaced workers evacuate quickly and safely. The first is the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) (http://dfa.gov.ph), which has been in negotiations with the governments on nations in turmoil and the neighboring countries where our countrymen can seek refuge. Another invaluable resource is the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) (http://www.owwa.gov.ph).

As we move into the 21st century, more and more government agencies are working to improve their web presence to include social networking, which is now more than just a new buzzword thrown around in meetings. The information that was disseminated across various demographics at Edsa II show that it’s not just the youth you can reach with technology. Older generations will not be left behind. The sites are becoming increasingly easy to use and the convenience is starting to outweigh the alternatives. Waiting in line at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) (http://www.lto.gov.ph) for your driver’s license will soon be part of the past.

Other agencies like the Metropolitan Manila Development Agency are pushing ahead by using Twitter to send traffic updates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, easing the stress of your daily grind through rush hour traffic. It would be nice to get a birth certificate, wedding documents or a new passport without having to leave your couch, along with an alert on Facebook telling you that the President of the Philippines is lowering the price of gasoline. The Internet is information, it is convenience, it is here. You had best embrace it, or you’ll be the only one who’ll be waiting in line. — TJD, GMA News