Two weeks ago, DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said that 60% or 921 out of 1,634 cities and municipalities in the country are now using electronic systems to process business permits and licenses.
He noted that the digitalization of LGU frontline services helped increase total revenue collection to P288 billion from P50 billion in 2018.
The DILG chief elaborated that of the 921 LGUs, 799 employ the Electronic Local Government Unit or the eLGU system, while 122 localities have their own innovative systems.
The eLGU platform is among the vital components of the Gov.PH Super App that was developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
It is a mobile application that integrates multi-sectoral government services in a single platform — covering a wide range of functions such as business permit licensing, community tax, local civil registry, and many others.
To attain the Marcos administration’s target of 100% full digitalization of LGU frontline services, the DILG, DICT and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), are jointly working and assessing the capabilities of every LGU in integrating online services in their processes.
They plan to employ the eLGU system in 240 more LGUs this year.
None of the 11 municipalities in Catanduanes, I’m sure, are using such electronic systems to serve business permit applicants.
Even Virac, which is the most likely LGU on the island to attain 100% digitalization of frontline services, is still mired in the cumbersome manual system.
If it is included in the 240 LGUs slated for implementation of the eLGU, the administration of Mayor Sammy Laynes would surely succeed.
*****
On behalf of the Virac Sports Club and on a personal basis, this columnist would like to express his sincerest condolences to the family of the late Jose Rodgar “Jie” Lim, who succumbed to lung cancer last week after several months of treatment in Metro Manila.
Lim, a literally towering fixture in the local basketball scene during the eighties, was a former member of the sports club established 31 years ago for physical fitness and sports development.
As owner of one of the few printing establishments in Catanduanes, we would often run into each other in banks where we frequently made transactions.
The big guy will be sorely missed…
*****
Last week, the DILG chief also reiterated his call for LGUs to strictly enforce regulations issued in 2020 prohibiting tricycles, and pedicabs from plying along national highways as part of the Duterte administration’s Road Clearing Program.
The department also issued released Memorandum Cicrular 2023-195 urging all local chief executives to reorganize or re-convene their Tricycle Task Force (TTF) to update their Tricycle Route Plan (TRP).
*****
THE LUCKY ONE. A young man excitedly tells his mother he’s fallen in love and that he is going to get married.
He says, “Just for fun, Ma, I’m going to bring over 3 girls and you try and guess which one I’m going to marry.”
The mother agrees.
The next day, he brings three women into the house and sits them down on the couch and they chat for a while. He then says, “Okay Ma, guess which one I’m going to marry.”
She immediately replies, “The one on the right.”
“That’s amazing, Ma. You’re right. How did you know?”
The mother replies, “I don’t like her.”