CitizenWatch Philippines Statement: Digitization of bureaucracy to fight COVID-19 corruption
September 1, 2020In the Philippines’ battle against the Wuhan virus, government has made landmark legislations that realigned public funds as a response to the pandemic. This came in the form of the now expired Bayanihan I and the recently ratified Bayanihan II. Billions of pesos from the national budget were redirected to government programs such as cash subsidy, infrastructure projects and procurement of essential medical supplies and equipment.
However, the realities on the ground have worsened. People are losing jobs, businesses are closing, and poverty is rising. The socio-economic support of government has yet to revitalize economic activity. It is apparent that the long-time societal burden of corruption has enhanced the adverse effects of the pandemic. Therefore, it is critical for citizens to demand transparency and accountability from government for the use of public funds.
We have seen how technology has bridged several gaps for consumers during this new normal. Businesses have adopted online services while financial institutions demonstrated the ease of cashless transactions. The use of digital tools for communication, education and work has become integral to our daily activities. More so, digitization of the bureaucracy will effectively address corruption and greatly improve delivery of public services.
The challenge for government is to champion the fast adoption of online systems that would overhaul the largely paper based and cumbersome bureaucratic processes. Digital solutions for the public sector will drastically cut red tape and lessen human interventions that are prone to corrupt practices.
To achieve this, a whole-of-society approach must be done to boost our nation’s digital infrastructure. Government must enable our telecommunications industry to ramp up the construction of much needed cell towers and catch-up to the increasing demand for mobile communications and broadband services.
CitizenWatch Philippines calls for digital transformation in government. This progressive development must be citizen-centric, guided by the objective of curbing corruption and adapting to the accelerated transformation toward a digitized society. The goal is the efficient and effective delivery for government service anchored on transparency and accountability.
Digitization is now changing all sectors of society, from business industries to health, and even education. Government must embrace these changes and adopt digital solutions to better serve the Filipino people!