Several municipalities, cities, and provinces were recognized for their excellence in the deployment of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions during the Digital Governance Awards (DGA) 2020. The awards recognize merit in efficiency, innovation, agile business, and citizen governance, as well as scalability of the submissions.
“To our Local Government Units (LGUs), as national and local government leaders, we shoulder the responsibility of achieving genuine change for the people we govern. My challenge is for you to take your communities to the inevitable digital future—to integrate innovative ICT-based strategies in problem-solving; to leverage data in governance, and to move towards sustainability through replicable and scalable initiatives that may benefit other neighboring communities,” DICT Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II said.
The DGA selected awardees from different levels (city, municipality, and province) for each of the five (5) categories, namely: Best in Customer Empowerment (G2C) Award, Best in Business Empowerment (G2B) Award, Best in Inter-Operability (G2G) Award, Best in Government Internal Operations (G2I) Award, and Best in Covid19 Pandemic Response (G2P).
The winning entries successfully demonstrated their potential to deliver a substantial impact on their respective constituents and communities.
“By highlighting these innovative local ICT practices, we hope for other LGUs to replicate or to draw inspiration from said practices, helping the wider community—the whole nation—raise the bar of ICT-driven governance,” Honasan stated. “We hope that this initiative will continue to spark innovation among LGUs in business development, social services as well as community development,” he added.
Honasan also affirmed the Department’s commitment to supporting LGUs in better addressing the needs of their constituents, primarily through the accelerated rollout of its digital infrastructure programs under the connect-connect-connect initiative.
The initiative is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s express mandate to DICT, to connect the government to other governments, domestic and global; government to businesses; government to citizens; and everybody to each other. This directive has been at the core of the Department’s recent efforts to provide the Filipinos access to faster, cheaper, if not free, and more secure digital connectivity.
“Your DICT, as the primary agency advancing the national ICT agenda, shall continue implementing digital transformation solutions focused on improving ICT infrastructure development, enabling e-governance, and countryside capacity-building activities, among others,” Honasan asserted. “Our goal is to help our LGUs promote innovation by building robust and nationally encompassing ICT infrastructure, making digital opportunities readily available to our local communities, and empowering our local leaders as they continue to trailblaze digital governance,” he added.
DICT Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Rey Caintic, likewise, expressed his appreciation to all the LGU participants, noting that the event has become more influential with each passing year, with this year’s DGA garnering more than 100 entries from different LGUs across the country.
The annual event is a joint project of the DICT, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP).
For the complete list of winning entries per category, please see below:
Best in Customer Empowerment (G2C) Award – This category includes ICT solutions towards providing improved, timely, and relevant delivery of public services.
| Municipal Level | City Level | Provincial Level | |
| 1st Place | San Fabian, Pangasinan | San Juan City | Province of Laguna |
| 2nd Place | Bayambang, Pangasinan | Manila City | Province of La Union |
| 3rd Place | Baras, Rizal | Cauayan City, Isabela | Province of Davao De Oro |
Best in Business Empowerment (G2B) Award – This category recognizes an LGU’s practices in integrating ICT solutions, responding to the needs of business enterprises, and creating business opportunities.
| Municipal Level | City Level | Provincial Level | |
| 1st Place | Mina, Iloilo | Valenzuela City | Special Citation: Agusan Del Sur |
| 2nd Place | Moncada, Tarlac | Cebu City | |
| 3rd Place | Odiongan, Romblon | Tagbilaran City, Bohol |
Best in Inter-Operability (G2G) Award – This category awards LGU’s initiative to connect data and systems with other government offices, both national and local, to improve public service delivery for its constituents.
| Municipal Level | City Level | Provincial Level | |
| 1st Place | Guagua, Pampanga | Tuguegarao City, Cagayan | Province of Davao De Oro |
| 2nd Place | Libertad, Antique | Quezon City | Province of Laguna |
| 3rd Place | Pulilan, Bulacan | Cauayan City, Isabela | Province of La Union |
Best in Government Internal Operations (G21) Award -This category recognizes the efforts of an LGU in improving its internal systems and adhering to recognized standards to be able to provide better service to its internal customers.
| Municipal Level | City Level | Provincial Level | |
| 1st Place | Bayambang, Pangasinan | Legaspi City, Albay | Province of Davao De Oro |
| 2nd Place | Taytay, Rizal | Manila City | Bohol Province |
| 3rd Place | Bacnotan, La Union | Alaminos City, Pangasinan | Province of La Union |
Best in COVID-19 Pandemic Response (G2P) Award – This special category recognizes the LGUs who were extremely adaptable to the unprecedented circumstances caused by the COVID19 pandemic. It awards the timely delivery of ICT-enabled services, quick-thinking, innovation, and resourcefulness.
| Municipal Level | City Level | Provincial Level | |
| 1st Place | Baliwag, Bulacan | Valenzuela City | Province of Iloilo |
| 2nd Place | Magallanes, Cavite | Parañaque City | Province of South Cotabato |
| 3rd Place | Loon, Bohol | Baguio City | Province of Davao De Oro |
