Iloilo City Government conducted the orientation “Rise, Digital Iloilo City: Empowering Barangays and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Inclusive Digital Engagement” with village officials at City Hall Penthouse April 30.
Data Assessment and Systems Management Office (DASMO) and Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office (LEDIP), in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), spearheaded the activity.
“In order to streamline processes towards the ease of doing business in a business-friendly city, we launched this program with the intention of training the barangay and empowering the residents while bringing the services closer to them,” DASMO Acting Head Atty. Fydah Sabando said.
“The trained barangay officials can help the people access the Iloilo City Web Portal, Integrated Business and Permit Licensing Systems (IBPLS), Real Property Tax (RPT), and building permitting fees online. Once they are already knowledgeable about navigating the system, they can already capacitate, assist, and train their constituents,” she added.
This initiative will review how e-services and online platforms may be more widely adopted and used by citizens and businesses in the metropolis.
This has been made possible through Urban Connect, a five-year development program under the Cities Development Initiative (CDI), that covers nine secondary cities across the Philippines, including Iloilo in keeping with ongoing efforts to improve local economic growth.
It aims to help CDI cities improve their revenue streams, maximize e-government solutions, and enhance the delivery of basic services, like health and education.
It also enhances revenue plans for cities, improves asset management, maximizes the contribution of local public enterprises to the city treasury, explores public-private partnerships, and implements fiscal improvement interventions.
The other eight recipient cities are Batangas; Tagbilaran, Bohol; Cagayan de Oro; Zamboanga; General Santos; Puerto Princesa; Legazpi; and Tacloban. (Andrea Pearl Fernandez/Iloilo City PIO)
