By SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
MANILA – The Aquino administration is releasing P878.5 million to support the second phase of the Integrated Government Philippines (iGovPhil) project.
iGovPhil is a vital part in the e-Government Master Plan of 2013-2016. It aims to maximize the use of information and communications technology (ICT) through shared infrastructure, services and applications for national government agencies.
The amount will be released to the Department of Science and Technology – Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO).
A huge chunk of the P875.5 million – P738.6 million to be exact – has been allotted for the deployment of fiber optic cables and the establishment and operation of data centers.
According to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the project will go a long way in better harmonizing government processes and inter-operability within the bureaucracy, leading to a faster and more efficient delivery of government services to the people.
iGovPhil has a total project cost of P2.53 billion implemented from 2012 to 2016.
DBM has previously released P164.6 million to ICTO in 2012 for the first phase of the project.
The latest P878.5 million funding — charged against the 2014 E-Government Fund — will cover funding requirements of the second phase of the project.
As of December 31, 2013, 30 percent and 80 percent of government agencies in Manila and Cebu, respectively, have been successfully connected to the fiber optic network.
Meanwhile, 71 percent of the target Government Data Centers have already been established./PN
