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THE government stands to save as much as P40 billion annually by eliminating duplicated technology spending across agencies, a windfall from its e-governance push that will also bankroll a fund to tap local start-ups next year.

In an interview on Wednesday, Undersecretary for E-Government David Almirol of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said government agencies requested more than P200 billion for information and communications technology (ICT) projects for 2025 alone, much of it overlapping.

‘When we looked at it, there was so much duplication, so many redundancies, so many repetitions. So, if you put governance to it, we estimate we can save around P30 billion to P40 billion from that,’ he said on the sidelines of the eGov Hackathon event in Taguig.

Almirol cited human resources payroll systems and asset management platforms that individual agencies seek to build separately – each easily costing hundreds of millions of pesos – when a single shared system could serve all of them for free.

Bulk procurement of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) subscriptions could also yield bigger discounts, he added.

The DICT has, likewise, decommissioned 60 percent of cloud services in e-government since 2023 after finding that many servers were being paid for but left unused, cutting costs further.

He explained that the savings are being generated under Republic Act 12054, or the E-Governance Act, which mandates the streamlining of government digital processes and bars agencies from duplicating systems.

Almirol said the agency will allocate at least P100 million next year to engage start-ups as systems integrators, developers, or research and development (RandD) partners-not as investment recipients.

‘They’ve already built a lot of things. Why repeat them?’ he said. ‘Instead of engaging foreign entities that are very expensive, Filipinos are more than capable of doing it.’

The engagement will draw from a pool of 137 startups, spanning education technology, financial technology, agriculture technology, health technology, peace and order applications, and automation tools for local government units.

Priority will likely go to start-ups with integration capabilities, Almirol said, as the eGov PH super app now has some 1,300 government systems integrated, with more in the pipeline.

The engagement will also cover cybersecurity, including white-hat hackers who can help secure the platform.

Almirol acknowledged continued pushback from some agencies and local governments hesitant to integrate, which he attributed to vested interests threatened by the cost reductions.

‘Big savings mean smaller business for some,’ he said. ‘The government is not a business; we’re here to help. At the end of the day, it’s taxpayers’ money being used in government.’

THE Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) recently announced the completion of the Electronic Receipt and Invoice System (EIS) Post-Management Project.

The ceremony at the BIR National Office in Quezon City brought together officials from the Department of Finance, the BIR, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea), KOICA, project implementer JHN Consulting, as well as other Philippine and Korean government representatives to celebrate the successful completion of the project. It reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to advancing digital tax administration and fostering a more transparent, efficient, and investment-friendly business environment.

The project builds on the original KOICA-supported EIS implemented from 2018 to 2022, which introduced electronic invoicing for selected large taxpayers. The post-management phase, implemented from May 2025 to July 2026, further strengthened the system by enhancing invoice reporting and verification and improving the BIR’s tax audit monitoring capabilities.

The enhanced system enables real-time collection and verification of electronic invoices, significantly reducing the time required for tax compliance and audit processes. Taxpayers no longer need to manually prepare supporting documents for routine verification, while audit procedures that previously took months can now be completed in minutes or hours.

Such reforms are also expected to improve transparency and predictability in tax administration, reducing unnecessary compliance burdens while supporting more effective revenue collection.

Confidence in the economy

‘THROUGH a modern, fair, and efficient tax system, the Philippine government is expected to be able to mobilize domestic resources, deliver better public services, and create an environment where businesses and citizens can participate with greater confidence in the economy,’ said former Korean envoy Lee Sang-hwa.

The project ‘also serves as a concrete follow-up to the ROK-Philippines bilateral summit last March, where President Lee Jae-myung sought the Philippine government’s active role,’ according to Lee-an indication of Korea’s high level of trust in the Philippine government’s continued efforts to address the concerns of Korean companies and investors by pursuing reforms that strike the right balance between effective tax administration and a fair, transparent, and business-friendly regulatory environment.

KOICA Philippines Country Director Jung Young-sun said the project has transformed the EIS into ‘a core platform for taxpayer compliance monitoring, risk analysis, and data-driven decision-making,’ while laying the foundation for the BIR to sustainably operate and continuously enhance the system.

Expanding digital tax admin

MEANWHILE, the BIR shared plans to expand the EIS beyond the country’s largest taxpayers to include thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs. The next phase will introduce an Electronic Service Provider or ESP framework to enable wider adoption while strengthening real-time monitoring and audit mechanisms.

The initiative reflects Korea’s continued support for the Philippines’ digital transformation and public sector modernization through development cooperation.

It also underscores the shared commitment of Korea and the Philippines to building a transparent, predictable, and digitally enabled business environment that supports sustainable economic growth and encourages greater trade and investment between the two countries.

‘Thanks to real-time invoice accumulation, taxpayers are now completely freed from the burden of preparing evidence in advance,’ remarked EIS Post-Management Project Manager Jung Kwan-gok.

A TEACHERS’ and parents’ group on Wednesday urged the Marcos administration to address adolescent pregnancy as an urgent national concern and certify as priority legislation the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act.

The Parents and Teachers for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (PTApp) noted that 6.8 percent of Filipino girls aged 15 to 19 have already begun childbearing, while pregnancies among children aged 10 to 14 continue to rise, underscoring the need for stronger preventive measures.

In a statement, the group called on President Marcos to certify as urgent the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act, first filed in Congress in 2017.

The group said the measure would strengthen efforts to prevent adolescent pregnancy by improving coordination among schools, parents, communities, healthcare providers, and government agencies, while expanding age-appropriate education and support services for young people.

‘Every teacher knows this reality: by the time young people reach adolescence, they are already receiving messages about relationships, their bodies, and sex through social media, classmates, online content, and the people around them. In my 30 years as an educator, there has never been a school year without a student becoming pregnant,’ said Maria Zaida Padullo, PTApp spokesperson in a press statement.

‘The question is not whether young people are learning. The question is whether they are learning from trusted adults in safe spaces. More often than not, our experience tells us the answer is no,’ added Padullo, principal of a public high school in Quezon City.

The appeal comes amid continuing public discussions on the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention bill and growing concern over child and adolescent pregnancies. Once enacted, the law would help ensure that young Filipinos receive age-appropriate information, access to support services, and stronger protection before a pregnancy occurs. Educators said the measure would also equip schools and families to guide young people in making informed and responsible decisions.

According to the Fifth Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS 5), only one in eight Filipino youth has ever discussed sex at home, while 19 percent identified social media as their primary source of information about puberty.

‘This data is deeply concerning. It shows that many Filipino adolescents are at risk of being exposed to misinformation about sex, increasing their vulnerability to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, sexual harassment, and abuse. As teachers, we witness these realities every day,’ Padullo said.

‘Families today are raising children in a world where they are constantly inundated with information that is often unfiltered and inaccurate. Schools should support parents by helping young people develop the knowledge and decision-making skills they need to protect themselves.’

YAFS 5 also found that while 70 percent of girls said they learned about puberty from their mothers, only 39 percent turn to their mothers when they have questions about sex, while 22 percent seek advice from friends. The gap is even more pronounced among boys, with nearly half saying they ask friends about sex, compared with only 12 percent who turn to their fathers and 11 percent to their mothers.

‘We cannot keep responding only after a child becomes pregnant. Protection begins before a crisis occurs. Young Filipinos deserve adults who are willing to guide them before misinformation, peer pressure, or exploitation takes hold,’ the group said.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) launched a $3.5-million South Korea-funded digital platform as part of its digitalization efforts to provide real-time data and improve policymaking.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Agriculture-Based Central Data Ecosystem (AbCDE) platform would fast-track farm assistance, enhance supply chain monitoring, and stabilize food prices.

Among the system’s capabilities that the DA chief touted was the shortened processing time for registration in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) to five minutes from the usual 10-day processing, allowing them to service more farmers and fishers.

‘This is a tool to get more real-time data as fast as possible to manage prices, control inflation, and (achieve) food security,’ he told reporters on the sidelines of the platform’s launch on Wednesday.

AbCDE was developed in partnership with South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion, and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (EPIS).

The unified digital hub could verify beneficiaries, track interventions, and monitor agricultural supply chains in real time, which the DA said prevents duplication in records and disconnected databases.

It also slashed the time needed to roll out new support programs by 80 percent, with seeds, fertilizer, and financial assistance completed in five days from the previous 26 days.

More than another government’s modernization project, the DA chief described it as a long-overdue overhaul of a system weighed down by outdated processes.

‘For many years, our sector grappled with over a hundred disparate digital initiatives functioning in isolation,’ he said. ‘Today, with the introduction of the Agriculture-Based Central Data Ecosystem Platform 1.0, we are embarking on a transformative journey in public service.’

The DA chief said South Korea’s contribution goes beyond providing technology.

‘Your invaluable expertise has equipped us with a ‘super brain’ to effectively monitor supply chains and stabilize prices in real time,’ he said.

‘Together, we are sowing the seeds of a digital revolution that will enhance farm incomes and secure food security for generations to come.’

Kadiwa sales

Meanwhile, the DA reported that the government’s Kadiwa program generated more than P4.4 billion in sales over the past four years.

The DA said Kadiwa generated P4.42 billion in sales from July 2022 to July 20, 2026, which benefited more than 12 million Filipino consumers through 22,178 marketing activities nationwide.

The P20 rice program held the lion’s share of the sales at P2.4 billion since it launched last May 2025, distributing 121,271 metric tons (MT) of rice to roughly 12.1 million beneficiaries.

The cheaper rice’s beneficiaries include vulnerable sectors, minimum wage earners, public transport workers, indigents, and registered farm and fisherfolk.

Furthermore, the DA said Kadiwa has grown to 805 active Benteng Bigas selling sites, including 295 with regular selling schedules, while the P20 rice program has already been rolled out in 57 provinces. The broader Kadiwa network currently operates 827 regular outlets nationwide.

MORE than 12 million beneficiaries all over the country have already benefited from the P20-per-kilo rice that President Marcos promised during the campaign in 2022.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government’s flagship ‘Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!’ continues to expand, making P20-per-kilo rice now available in around 800 participating outlets nationwide.

The Department of Agriculture targets to have 1,500 outlets by the end of the year to bring affordable, quality rice closer to Filipino families in more communities while strengthening support for local farmers and fishermen, Tiu Laurel said.

‘Ang target natin ay iyong mga lower income lalo na ang mga PWD [persons with disability], 4P beneficiaries, single parents at seniors. Target natin is 15 million households,’ the agriculture chief said.

The program currently distributes around 15,000 to 20,000 metric tons of P20 rice every month, with the DA aiming to double this to 40,000 metric tons monthly by December to ensure that more Filipino families can access affordable staple food amid global and local challenges.

Despite the effects of El Niño, the DA assured the public that the country’s food supply remains stable, emphasizing that there is no reason for concern as the government continues to implement measures to secure the nation’s food needs.

‘Marami naman tayong supply, ample, walang cause for any alarm, we are food secure,’ Tiu Laurel said.

Beyond making rice more affordable, the initiative also creates a reliable market for locally produced palay, allowing farmers to earn better while ensuring consumers benefit from lower food costs. ‘Masayang-masaya ang farmers….Nakakatulong talaga sa kanilang kabuhayan,’ he noted.

To further strengthen the agriculture sector, the DA continues to invest in long-term interventions such as solar-powered irrigation systems, farm-to-market roads, agricultural credit through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), climate resilience programs for farmers and fisherfolk, and measures to prevent fish kills during extreme weather conditions.

The department is likewise accelerating infrastructure investments through public-private partnerships, with a target of constructing 10,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads within two years, while also pursuing the country’s first three mega hatcheries to boost aquaculture production and improve the livelihood of fishing communities.

The DA is also pushing reforms that encourage greater investments in rice milling, drying, and storage facilities to strengthen the local rice industry, reduce dependence on imports, and create more opportunities for Filipino farmers over the long term.

For Tiu Laurel, the department’s mission extends beyond increasing production-it is about helping Filipino farmers and fisherfolk build sustainable livelihoods. ‘Tanging hangad ko ay kumita ang ating mga farmers and fisherfolks. While in office, one of my main missions is to create the atmosphere and give them the infrastructure for them to be able to make money.’

The agriculture chief likewise encouraged stakeholders to continue working with the government in improving the country’s food systems. ‘Kung meron kayong gustong paratingin at mga ideas, it is very welcome and we have an open structure. Ang utos po ng Pangulo ay tutukan nang maayos ang agrikultura, hopefully ma-aayos namin lahat ng mga problema ninyo,’ he said.