'Click, Connect, Celebrate!'

"It's a good thing we have a tech-savvy President!" said Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary David Almirol Jr. at "Click, Connect, Celebrate," a thanksgiving event to honor the remarkable achievements of eGOV.PH, at the Foro de Intramuros in Manila.

- JOANNE RAE M. RAMIREZ

Almirol, a self-made tech magnate before joining the government, founded Multisys Technologies, a software company worth billions, and was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in 2021 for science, engineering and technology.

The Philippines is one of only 12 countries recognized by the UN for its notable progress in digital government from 2022 to 2024.

As of this month, there have been 300 million transactions undertaken via eGovPH. "Malaking bawas sa pila or red tape," Almirol said.

The Philippines, according to Almirol, "jumped from 'High' to 'Very High' in the E-Government Development Index (EGDI), climbing more than 15 places in the EGDI ranking. It moved from 'High' to 'Very High' in the Online Service Index (OSI) with an over 15-percent increase."