DILG urges LGUs to improve digital platforms in communities as PHL transitions to new normal

Written by Kaye Fe on

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(Eagle News)–The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Wednesday, July 8, urged local government units to “beef up their digital platforms” as the country transitions to the new normal  amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In urging LGUs to fast-track the needed permits and clearances to set up crucial infrastructure such as cell sites that will improve Internet connectivity, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año noted the many people dependent on the Internet in the new normal.

“The millions working from home, the students looking forward to on-line learning, and the workers who depend on the digital economy are all expecting government to address the gaps in our internet infrastructure,” he said.

According to Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, LGUs have a key role in improving the digital platform, not just in government services but also in building business and consumer confidence in this time of pandemic.

He said LGUs must encourage businesses to shift towards online money transfer instead.

“Many businesses have now been engaging the financial services provided by major payment gateways such as Smart Padala, Gcash, PayMaya, Google, and Click2Pay that have drastically changed our experience in making online payments – from the conventional ‘pasaload’  to a more sophisticated process of online payment,” Malaya said.

He noted this kind of setup was implemented in the distribution of financial assistance under the Social Amelioration Program.

Government agencies, he said, also encourage online payment for taxes and mandatory social contributions.

These include the Government Service Insurance System, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, PagIBIG, and PhilHealth.

“Despite some security issues that the government assures can be countered, online payment is also seen to reduce red tape and cost of doing business as all government agencies, through the Ease of Doing Business Act, are mandated to automate their processes including payment of taxes, fees, and charges,” Malaya said.