Digitalization crucial vs corruption – Bersamin

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO

EXECUTIVE Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Saturday that digitalization is crucial to the streamlining of government processes and the fight against corruption.

Bersamin issued the statement after the Philippines ranked 115th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, a one-notch improvement from its previous ranking of 116th.

“We consider this result as both a challenge to do better and a reason for hope that the country is headed in the right direction,” Bersamin said.

“In line with the President’s clarion call for the entire Government ‘to show in deeds, not in words, that it is deserving of the people’s trust,’ earnest efforts are already being undertaken to implement the digital transformation mandate of the Administration in order to streamline institutional processes and curtail opportunities for graft and corruption,” he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been pushing for the complete implementation of the government digitalization program under his administration, noting in his second State of the Nation Address in July last year that digitalization has significantly boosted efficiency in processes such as business registration, issuance of permits and licenses, loan applications, and revenue collections.

“Consistent with this transformative policy direction, all government offices must then ensure that their vital services are digitalized immediately. It is here. It is needed, and it is needed today. Government must fully embrace digitalization to provide better service to the people through its vital frontline services and its back-end functions,” Marcos said.

Based on data from the Berlin-based organization Transparency International, the Philippines obtained a score of 34 out of 100, which was an increase from its score of 33 in 2022.

The Philippines ranked 115th out of the 180 countries and territories on the list, up from 116th.

Countries were scored based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, with 0 being “highly corrupt” and 100 being “very clean.”

Transparency International said “each country’s score is a combination of at least three data sources drawn from 13 different corruption surveys and assessments.”