Designing e-Government for the Poor - Tanzania Development ...

158
Philippines
Title: Database of economic and social profile of Barangays
Proposer: Mr. Mateo G. Montano, Assistant Secretary, Department
of Social Welfare and Development
Country: Philippines
Date: March 2005
I. INTRODUCTION
The poverty situation in the Philippines is the primary barrier to
access to information and communication technologies. Although the Philippines
has made considerable advancements in ICT development, the Philippine
e-government is still underdeveloped, and a number of vital services
need to be put in place before the poor can benefit from ICT. In view of
the fact that ICT projects require huge investments, fund constraints will
still be the primary issue in the implementation of e-government projects.
Despite these, however, the national Government as well as some development-oriented
local Government administrations has embarked on ICT
development in pursuit of national development.
II. ISSUES
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is a
line department and one of the key agencies under the Social Development
Sector of the Government of the Philippines, which includes the
Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), and the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Under its present mandate,
the DSWD, among others, shall:
1. Take the lead role in social welfare and development sector
planning; and
2. Provide assistance to local government units (LGUs), nongovernment
organizations (NGOs), other national government
agencies (NGAs), people’s organization, and members of the
civil society in implementing social welfare and development
programmes, projects and services. It is also mandated to implement
community and centre-based programmes, involving
specialized social services and statutory programmes such as the
maintenance of centres and institutions for street children,
disabled, older persons, abused women and children, youth
offenders, home for girls, and others.
The DSWD has a secondary mission which is to provide social
protection and promote the rights and welfare of the poor and marginalized
sectors of society through empowerment and capability building programmes.
The efficiency of the DSWD to deliver development programmes would
depend on the availability of updated data; and information on planning,
development, implementation of programme, and projects for the sector.