State Dining Room, Malacañan Palace
June 1, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. convened with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) in a Digital Infrastructure meeting at the State Dining Room in Malacañan Palace.

The PSAC presented its Digital Infrastructure Work Plans and six (6) strategic recommendations that include expediting the approval of the National Cybersecurity Plan 2023-2028 for future cybersecurity projects between the government and the private sector; a Connectivity Index Rating patterned after the hotel industry’s star rating system wherein citizens can rate public establishments on its internet quality based on criteria such as adequate infrastructure capacity, internet speed, etc.

The third recommendation centered on the Digital and Financial Inclusivity wherein the PSAC rallied support for the Paleng-QR PH Plus program that aims to promote cashless payments in public markets and local transportation, particularly tricycles.

Another proposal pertained to amending the National Building Code of the Philippines to provide that connectivity should be a priority in buildings and developments, same as electricity and water. As such, building owners and property developers should provide for facilities to enable connectivity services to residents and businesses.

PSAC also recommended Building a Digitally Confident Civil Service involving a Philippine Civil Service Digital Leadership Program for mid-level to senior civil servants on digital leadership and agile thinking, to be conducted by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS) – Institute of Systems Science.

The final recommendation focused on Strengthening the Integration of Public Financial Management (PFM) Information Systems and Streamlining its Processes to enhance the management of government financial resources through an integrated digital system.

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