Congress urged to swiftly pass digitalization measures

MANILA, Philippines — A congressman is pushing for the passage of bills on digitalization that would accelerate the country’s shift to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte urged fellow lawmakers to prioritize House Bills No. 6924 (Bangko sa Baryo Act), No. 1248 (e-Governance Law) and No. 7189 (Outside Class Learning and Digital Education Act) in the few weeks left in their session after the elections.

The former deputy speaker explained that these measures would complement President Duterte’s recent Executive Order (EO) No. 166, a 10-point agenda for economic recovery for the remainder of this administration.

Villafuerte explained that the digitalization bills should preoccupy lawmakers in the remaining session weeks of the 18th Congress, more so now when one of the 10 items on EO 166’s agenda for economic recovery is to “accelerate digital transformation through legislative measures.”

“We call on our colleagues in both chambers of the 18th Congress to support EO 166 by giving top priority to these three measures that aim to close the digital divide by transforming the way we transact and do business at the grassroots level and to provide fast and reliable services to our people,” he appealed.

Villafuerte, who has championed the country’s digital switch even before the pandemic struck two years ago, said the use of technology-driven tools will provide the country with new opportunities for growth and make it inclusive, especially for millions of Filipinos in the countryside.

For one, the Bangko sa Baryo bill aims to provide last-mile financial connectivity in unbanked communities nationwide through the use of digital tools.

He said it would “open new livelihood opportunities in faraway communities either unserved or underserved by the formal banking system.”