At the hearing on the 2020 budget of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Sen. Lacson urged the agency to take steps to make sure the government portal is always up, including closer supervision and control .
The DICT is seeking a budget of P36.393 billion for 2020 , much higher than the P3.76 billion in the NEP.
QUOTES and NOTES:
Sen. Lacson noted some government agencies’ websites go offline, some at times that they are most needed. “My question is, is there a way for these agencies to be made accountable? Sa inyo, domain nyo ito.”
He cited their experiences with the websites of the Department of Public Works and Highways and PhilGEPS, which went offline at a time they needed to get some information from them. “Sa portal I just hope you can exercise closer supervision and control. Parang may override kayo. Pag down nila, we call DICT and you can put it up again.”
DICT’s BUDGET REQUEST FOR 2020:
For 2020, the DICT is asking for P36.393 billion, much higher than the P3.76 billion in the NEP. The request includes:
* Digital Connectivity and Access: P20,788,027,000
* Digital Government: P6,388,351,000
* Digital Literacy: P4,755,373,000
* Cybersecurity: P317,863,000
* Internal Transformation: P317,863,000
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