The Senate on Monday approved the E-Governance Act on Third and Final reading, a measure championed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano that paves the way for Filipinos to thrive in the digital age.
The bill received broad support, with 21 senators voting in favor and no votes against or abstentions during the plenary session on January 27, 2025.
The E-Governance Act (Senate Bill No. 2781) seeks to enhance government operations, streamline services, and promote transparency, all with the goal of benefiting both citizens and businesses.
Cayetano, who sponsored the legislation as chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, had emphasized the need for the country to develop infrastructure that will enable the full potential of e-governance.
“Only God knows the limitation of E-governance in the digital age. Halos unlimited ang opportunities dito. Think of it, and it can be done,” the senator said.
He highlighted as well the importance of building digital infrastructure alongside physical infrastructure like highways and bridges.
“Kung hindi ibi-build ang structures sa digital age, hindi mo makukuha ang benefits nito,” he said.
Cayetano stressed the importance of integrating the E-Governance Act with other initiatives such as the Konektadong Pinoy Act (Senate Bill No. 2699) and cybersecurity measures to protect Filipinos from online scams and fraud.
“E-Governance is not per se the solution to all of our problems, but it is a tool that, if used effectively and assigned properly to various agencies, can address many of our challenges today,” the senator said.
