MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday launched two new initiatives as part of his administration's efforts to digitalize government services, including local government transactions and reporting crime and fire incidents to authorities.

The Electronic Local Government Unit System (eLGU) and the People's Feedback Mechanism (eReport) are "vital components" of the eGov Super App, which was launched last June integrating various government services into one platform.

Under the eLGU system, Filipinos could work on business permits and licenses, community taxes, health certificates, barangay clearances, and other local government transactions on the eGov Super App.

The public could also easily file reports on crimes, fire incidents, and other emergency situations through the eReport system, which is linked to the Philippine National Police's (PNP) iReport and the Bureau of Fire Protection's (BFP) fire response management system, Malacañang said.

"In partnership with [the Anti-Red Tape Authority], this will complement our efforts in eliminating unnecessary layers of bureaucracy as well as making government transactions easier and more efficient," Marcos said.

"These programs mark the paradigm shift in a way that government and citizens interact with one another. With the power of technology, we can break barriers and bridge gaps in ways that we have never be able to do before," he added.

Marcos also called on LGUs and government agencies to collaborate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to smoothen the operation of the eGov super app.

The President likewise called on the Department of Interior and Local Government, DICT, and LGUs to "ramp up the implementation of infrastructure projects in the telecommunications industry."

"There are more profound changes that we can expect should we choose to apply technology in many aspects of our lives. I truly believe that digitalization will be a hallmark of our progress as we move to the future," he added.

The launch of the eLGU and eReport systems came more than a month since the super app itself was formally launched on June 2.

Marcos earlier ordered the DICT to help local governments adopt the eGov system.

• Marcos tells DICT to help LGUs in adopting e-Gov system
• Philippine government launches eGov 'super app'

But advocacy group Better Internet PH called on the government to widen internet connectivity in the Philippines so that more Filipinos can access the eGov super app.

"We keep on saying that we want digitalization, that we want e-government and we actually now have a super app. How can people access these apps, how can organizations, schools, businesses digitalize if they don’t have connectivity?" the group's lead advocate Grace Mirandilla-Santos said in a media seminar last month.

• Boosting internet connectivity crucial for e-government push: group

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