TACLOBAN CITY– Access to a computer, reliable internet connection, and digital government services can make a significant difference in how quickly village residents obtain information, transact with government offices, and connect with opportunities.
Recognizing the growing importance of digital connectivity in everyday public transactions, villages in Tanauan and Carigara towns in Leyte utilized their Special Connectivity Program Fund (SCPF) to upgrade their information and communications technology (ICT) facilities and bring essential digital services closer to their communities.
The initiative forms part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program, which seeks to ensure that government interventions and services reach communities at the grassroots level.
Through SCPF support, participating barangays are improving their ICT facilities, providing communities with better access to digital tools that can be used for government transactions, information dissemination, communication, education, and other community needs.
According to village chief Elmer Opeña, a barangay equipped with functional ICT facilities can serve as a local access point where residents can seek government information, accomplish online transactions, communicate with public offices, and access digital resources without having to travel farther from their communities.
“Damu pa gad amon unta gusto mahimo nga project, pero amo an amon gin-una para mas magin madagmit it transactions, mga dokumento, ngan damu pa dinhi ha amon barangay hall,” Opeña said.
(We have a lot of other projects that we need to implement, but for now we have prioritized ICT to provide easier transactions, processing of documents and many others inside the barangay hall.”)
He otherwise appealed for additional financial assistance from the national government to help address other pressing needs and development concerns in the barangay.
The barangay official said continued support is crucial in providing needed facilities and services and in implementing projects that will directly benefit residents.
Meanwhile in San Victor village in Tanauan town, village council member Alma Balmes said their newly-acquired upgraded ICT equipment will play a big role in securing information and accessing government programs to communicating with agencies and submitting requirements as more public services are increasingly becoming available through digital channels.
“Mas mapapadagmit gihapon an amon pakipagsumpayan ngadto ha amon mga residente,” Balmes said. (“This will make our communication with our residents much easier.”)
Barangay governments, she said, can use digital platforms to disseminate announcements, emergency information, schedules, government advisories, and other important updates more efficiently.
This becomes especially valuable during emergencies, when the timely transmission of information can help communities respond more quickly to threats and coordinate with local authorities.
Through Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program, resources are brought directly to barangays, allowing local governments to identify and address needs that affect residents in their daily lives.
The program underscores the administration’s broader push for inclusive development, one where government services, information, technology, and opportunities are made accessible not only in urban centers but also in smaller and more remote communities.
As digital technology becomes increasingly embedded in public service delivery, strengthening ICT capacity at the barangay level is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity.
When technology reaches the barangay, government comes closer to the people, and when people can connect, they can participate more fully in the opportunities of a digital society.
(AHLETTE C. REYES, PIA-Leyte)
