Philippines Seeks P2.7 Billion for eGovPH App Upgrade

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s eGovPH superapp requires at least P2.7 billion next year for crucial upgrades on cloud and cybersecurity, ensuring the platform can handle the surge of transaction volumes. Information Secretary Henry Aguda yesterday said his agency is seeking P2.7 billion to fund the technical upgrade of eGovPH, with the app attracting tens of millions of downloads. In particular, the amount will make up 15 percent of the P18-billion budget request of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for 2027. Aguda said the funding would be used to expand the cloud hosting of eGovPH. Likewise, it will finance cybersecurity upgrades to protect it from bad actors, especially as it is attracting attention for its growing user base. To date, eGovPH has logged around 61 million downloads, showing promise as a one-stop shop for everyday transactions of Filipinos. Users can access the platform to store digital IDs, send job applications, request medical assistance, among others. Aguda said eGovPH has completed more than 900 million transactions through its reach of over 1,300 services in one place. Given this, Aguda hopes the DICT would face little to no challenge from lawmakers in passing the proposed budget for eGovPH. “We are ready for the congressional deliberations, and we don’t expect any trouble in getting this budget executed next year,” Aguda said. After building up eGovPH, the DICT is looking to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) layer for government documentation. The eGovAI will automate document processing for state agencies, minimizing red tape and speeding up approval systems. The DICT is pulling all the stops to attain its mandate from President Marcos to reach universal connectivity before the end of his term in 2028. The DICT is also working with private partners in trying to cut internet costs by up to 80 percent. Last week, Aguda said the country’s largest connectivity players PLDT Inc., Globe Telecom Inc. and Converge ICT Solutions Inc. are drawing up a $500-million plan to connect all islands through a subsea cable. The proposed underwater cable aims to bring fiber-grade internet even to the farthest islands, as only half of Filipinos have broadband access as of 2024. Information source: Philstar Business