Category: Featured Articles

In the age of digital transformation, the Philippines faces an unprecedented challenge: the relentless onslaught of cyber threats. With the recently reported cyber attacks, the assertion of Engineer Pierre Tito Galla of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has never been more accurate: “[Cyber] breaches or incidents are not a matter of if, but when.” These challenges are particularly alarming for institutions holding vast private data, such as those in banking and finance, and public-sector agencies entrusted with high-risk confidential information (HRCI).

In 2022, the Philippines experienced a 57.4% surge in ransomware attacks, as the Philippine News Agency reported. These attacks have emerged as the weapon of choice for cybercriminals, targeting both private and public sectors. Data theft, driven by ransomware attacks, has now become a means of extortion in the country, which places the Philippines at number two in Asia in terms of being targeted by cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity serves as a risk mitigation effort for public-sector organizations (PSOs) as it can help ensure business continuity and minimize downtime. PSOs are entrusted with different levels of data, requiring different magnitudes of security in the same breath. The data is the purpose of many initiatives towards productivity through digitalization; cybersecurity is indispensable toward these efforts. By prioritizing cybersecurity, PSOs enhance their ability to maintain business continuity, minimize downtime, and optimize resource allocation, leading to more effective public service delivery.

Solidifying Cybersecurity in CBILLS Thursday Talks

On 21 September 2023, the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Center for Governance–Policy Research Office (CFG-PRO), held the fifth and final installment of the 2023 Thursday Talks Lecture Series under the Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) program entitled “Safe and Sound: Protecting Filipinos in a Digital Future.” The event was held at the Virata Hall of DAP in Pasig City and streamed online.

Officers and staff from the Senate of the Philippines, House of Representatives, and DAP attended the event.

Atty. Richard Leo M. Baldueza, Committee Secretary on Banks & Financial Intermediaries of the House of Representatives, moderated the discussions, sharing his insights into cybersecurity within the context of e-governance and highlighting actual cases in the finance sector.

Engineer Pierre Tito Galla delved into the fundamentals of cybersecurity, the current state of Philippine cybersecurity, and the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals. He also tackled USAID’s Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) Project — a five-year project aimed at promoting economic growth through better information and communications technology (ICT) and helping bridge the digital divide in the Philippines.

Tirso Raymond Gutierrez, Chief of Staff of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, outlined the citizen-centric features of the proposed E-Governance Act. This legislation centralizes payments and government transactions, ushering in a more secure and efficient era of governance.

Securing the Digital Financial Landscape

Director Melchor Plabasan of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas highlighted the transformative impact of digital payment portals and electronic wallets, expanding financial inclusion among lower to lower-middle-income groups. However, he also voiced concerns about the surge in data breaches from phishing and other cybercriminal tactics targeting civilian accounts.

Atty. Christine Lovely E. Red-Allego, Assistant Vice President of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, expressed enthusiasm for the proposed E-Governance Act, foreseeing its potential to bolster e-banking initiatives. She also echoed the alarming number of cyberattacks on customers’ online accounts.

If you want to see the full session, click here.

Key Takeaways:

• The public sector’s productivity efforts demand the presence of cybersecurity in risk mitigation and management. With less time spent on recovering from cyberattacks, there will be more time and manpower dedicated to ensuring the initiatives, in the form of projects or programs, run smoothly.
• The panel discussions unearthed several nuances in the Philippines’ cybersecurity landscape. Notably, the nation grapples with a growing interest in cybersecurity, yet it contends that more professionals are needed. Furthermore, the competitiveness of the labor sector for cybersecurity experts remains a challenge, with remuneration being a significant factor.
• Critical information protection has long been a pivotal concern of cybersecurity since massive malware attacks have threatened or succeeded in compromising data. The Philippines’ situation in the matter has yet to actualize fully.
• Transforming towards a digitalized society is a shared responsibility. As part of recovery in the new normal, Filipinos should be fully aware of the cyber risks to protect cyberspace from attacks, phishing schemes, malicious links, and scams, just as much as the government must be highly critical of “when” cyberattacks can happen.
• With digital banking and online or e-wallets, cybersecurity threats have been more prominent and provoking to hackers. The finance and banking sector must partner with the government to protect the constituents’ money and their HRCI.

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), led the Conversation Circles on public sector productivity last 13 September 2023 at the DAP Building in Pasig City.

Nine members from the Community of Practice on Public-Sector Productivity attended the event. These participants came from different government agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Education (Schools Divisions of Dasmariñas City and Mandaluyong City), Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, and National Youth Commission.

The COE-PSP organized the Community of Practice on Public-Sector Productivity as a platform for individuals who have undergone different capability development programs of the center. It aims to promote and sustain discussions about public sector productivity in the Philippines.

As the first activity, the members gathered in Conversation Circles to co-create possible activities and interventions to promote public sector productivity and help define the strategic position and role of the community.

The participants engaged in discussions about the productivity challenges and opportunities within their respective government agencies. They emphasized the importance of involving everyone, from top-level management to individual employees, in efforts to enhance public sector productivity. This includes the involvement of those from the national level down to individual offices. From this event, the participants suggested bringing the discussion of public sector productivity into their own offices.

A total of 124 participants joined the Productivity Challenge Workshop: Discovering and Designing Productivity Solutions held at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial University (DMMMSU), Bacnotan, La Union, on 11-15 September 2023.

Batch 22 participants came from the DMMMSU faculty and staff, while batch 23 consisted of participants from different DMMMSU campuses, the National Power Corporation, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Local Government Unit of Bacnotan, Abuyog Community College, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Department of Education Regional Office 1, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., Department of Public Works and Highways-CAR, and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.

Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP) Program Director Peter Dan Baon introduced public sector productivity to the participants and taught them how to use tools for discovering productivity problems and gaps, formulating productivity problems, and discovering and designing productivity solutions. The application of these tools in public sector innovation was discussed as well.

The participants worked on problems related to their departments or organizations. They were closely guided through the process, which helped them identify problems they could handle with their resources and authority. The workshop then carefully examined how to solve these problems and develop creative solutions.

Eight government agencies completed the Upskilling Phase of the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists – Foundation Course (DPSPS-FC) held in Quezon City last 31 July to 4 August 2023.

This training program was hosted by the Development Academy of the Philippines, the focal and implementing organization of the country’s designation as the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP).

Thirty-eight participants from various government agencies joined the event, including the Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office I, Department of Transportation, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Education Regional Office XI, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Presidential Communications Office, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, and the National Water Resources Board.

The training is designed to equip technical staff and officers of public-sector organizations with the knowledge and skills in measurement, analysis, planning, and troubleshooting to increase their respective organizations’ productivity.

The DPSPS-FC has four phases: Upskilling, Pitching, Pilot-testing and Coaching, and Knowledge and Experience Sharing Sessions.

The training course covered topics such as Understanding Productivity Concepts; Measuring Productivity in the Public Sector; Diagnosing and Analyzing Productivity; and Identifying Productivity Improvement Solutions.

Former DAP Center for Knowledge Management Vice President Ms. Elena Cruz, Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Productivity Expert Ms. Niña Estudillo, and DAP Resident Fellow Director Maria Rosario Ablan stood as resource persons. Aside from providing lectures, they also served as panelists for the participants’ proposals.

The conference sessions concluded with a presentation of various digitalization efforts of the Bureau of Internal Revenue – Information Systems Group. These innovations include:

• The Electronic Audited Financial Statements (eAFS), a web-based application financial system where clients can submit their audited financial statements, cutting cueing and time spent on face-to-face transactions;
• ONETT Tracking System (OTS), a time tracking system that ensures there won’t be delays in processing ONETT transactions;
• One-Time Transactions (ONETT), an internal server where all the data are secured;
• eONNETT, which is the client-end of the ONETT— user-friendly web-based application system for specific tax transactions outside of the audited financial statements (like the sale of real properties classified as capital and ordinary assets);
• ONEHUB, an employee engagement platform that uses Microsoft 365 for employees to be able to communicate across different departments and offices;
• The eAppointment System enables clients to book certain services and schedule appointments online for an ensured time slot.

At the end of the Upskilling lectures, the agency representatives shared their proposals with the Resource Persons – Panelists. The next step will be the online Pitching session, where the participants present their proposals to their agency heads.

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), in cooperation with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), through the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), conducted this year’s first batch of the APO Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists (APO DPSPS) training program.

The 5-day course was held online last 10-14 July 2023.  Thirty-eight participants from twelve APO member countries joined the course, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Turkiye.

Atty. Engelbert C. Caronan Jr., MNSA, President and Chief Executive Officer of DAP,  welcomed the participants, emphasizing during his speech the vital role of capability development in enhancing public sector productivity.

During the opening day of the course, Dr. Shin Kim, Senior Research Fellow at the Division of Regulatory Innovation Research, Korea Institute of Public Administration, Republic of Korea, shared an enlightening session on the “Role of the Public Sector and Global Trends in Improving Productivity.” Meanwhile, the “Public-sector Leadership” session was conducted by Dr. D Brian Marson, President of Public Service Excellence Institute Canada.

The following day, Dr. Marson delivered an insightful presentation on “Citizen-centered Service and Opportunities for Improving Public Service Delivery in the New Normal.” At the same time, Dr.  Kim talked about “Performance Management,” emphasizing productivity and accountability for results.

A group discussion after the sessions followed. The participants looked into a case study and identified key service performance challenges during the pandemic and the strategies used to maintain excellent service delivery and public trust.

The participants also attended sessions that helped them translate productivity concepts into actionable plans.

On the third day, Dr. Marson delivered a session on the “Development of Productivity Improvement Plans.” At the same time, Mr. Arnel D. Abanto, Vice President of the Productivity and Development Center of the Development Academy of the Philippines, shared his expertise on “Measuring Public-sector Productivity.”

During the fourth day, the participants and the productivity experts engaged in in-depth discussions on concepts and practices of change management, tools and techniques to improve productivity, and the regulations and functions of the government.

In the “Change Management” session, Dr. Marson presented ways to overcome challenges in the change process.

Ms. Magdalena Mendoza, Senior Vice President for Programs of the Development Academy of the Philippines, discussed the “Approaches for Improving Organizational Productivity.” The session highlighted practical tools and techniques for raising efficiency and effectiveness in utilizing resources and operations by public-sector organizations.

In the third session, Dr. Kim presented the basic concepts of “Regulatory Reform” and how the regulations and functions of the government can improve productivity.

On the last day of the APO DPSPS training, Dr. Kim discussed how e-Government could improve the efficiency of public-sector programs, regulations, and services; enhance citizen engagement, including transparency of decision-making and government operations; and reduce the potential for corruption.

Mr. Adam Bert A. Lacay, Information Systems Analyst II from the City Government of Baguio, Philippines, shared their experience building the city’s innovative Command Center and its efforts towards becoming a smart city.

The training program concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. Lilia Jadie from the Philippines and closing remarks by Mr. Armand Tristan Suratos, Head of the APO-DAP Secretariat.

The Development Academy of the Philippines, through its Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity Program Office (COE-PSP PMO), is inviting representatives from National Government Agencies to participate in the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists – Foundation Course (DPSPSFC). The DPSPS-FC is one of the Academy’s strategies to help raise the productivity performance of public sector organizations, as stipulated in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 (Chapter 14, Outcome 3).

What is the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists – Foundation Course?

The DPSPS-FC is a two-month hybrid training program designed to equip technical staff and officers in National Government Agencies and Local Government units with the knowledge and skills in measurement, analysis, planning, and troubleshooting to increase their organizations’ productivity. Read the full program here.

DPSPS-FC activities are divided into four phases:

Who can join?

Target participants are Management Division personnel involved in improving organizational systems, processes, procedures, and services, or those whose functions involve:

1. recommending measures to improve systems, processes, procedures, and services;
2. reviewing and implementing of recommended improvements;
3. conduct of training on systems/process improvements; and
4. supervising staff supervision in implementing systems and process improvements.

Requirements from the participants:

Certificate of Completion will be issued to those who:

• attended all the phases of the program: Upskilling, Pitching, Pilot Testing and Coaching, and Knowledge and Experience Sharing;
• submitted the required outputs, including the Productivity Improvement Plan (PIP);
• implemented and presented initial results of their productivity improvement initiative in the Knowledge and Experience Sharing Session; and
• submitted and entry to the DAP Productivity Challenge

How to join?

Sign up by completing the Nomination Form and submitting the signed Letter of Commitment, which you can download here: DPSPSFC Forms.

Please send the accomplished forms in PDF format to capdev.coepsp@dap.edu.ph

• Each NGA can send 3-5 participants for this batch and sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for application is on 18 July 2023. Confirmation emails for accepted NGAs will be sent on 21 July 2023.
• This course is free of charge and only requires the full commitment of nominated participants including participation in the scheduled catch-up sessions.
• DAP will be arranging for the participants’ meals and accommodation during the face-to-face lectures and workshops on 31 July – 4 August, 2023 to be held in Metro Manila.

For inquiries and clarifications about the DPSPS-FC program, please email us at capdev.coepsp@dap.edu.ph.

The Development Academy of the Philippines is inviting representatives from government agencies to participate in the Designing Citizen-Centered Public Service (DCCPS) Capability Development Program. The DCCPS is one of the Academy’s strategies to contribute to the effort to raise the productivity performance of agencies, as stipulated in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 (Chapter 14, Outcome 3).

What is the Designing Citizen-Centered Public Service Program?

The Designing Citizen-Centered Public Service (DCCPS) is a three-month hybrid program to assist government agencies in developing service solutions that address their client’s needs and expectations. Read the full program here.

The DCCPS program is divided into four (4) phases:

Who can join?

To join, you must form a team of three (3) to five (5) members who satisfy the following qualifications:

• Currently working in the same National Government Agency (NGA) and/or attached agencies.
• Delivering the same service; and
• Performs the following functions: decision-making, client support or frontline service delivery, administrative, logistics, and IT.
• Optional: A Division Chief or high-ranking official.

Requirements from the participants:

Certificate of Completion will be issued for those who:

• Attended all sessions under each program phase: Upskilling, Pitching, Pilot Testing and Coaching, and Knowledge and Experience Sharing.
• Submitted the required outputs; and
• Implemented and presented initial results of their innovation project in the Knowledge and Experience Sharing Session.

How to join?

Sign up by completing the Nomination Form and submitting the signed Letter of Commitment, which can be downloaded at DCCPS Forms.

Please send the accomplished forms in PDF format to capdev.coepsp@dap.edu.ph

• We have 40 slots for this batch, and sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for Nomination Forms for this batch is on 25 July 2023.
• This course is free of charge and only requires the nominated participants’ full commitment, including participation in catch-up sessions after the workshop.
• If slots are filled, nominees will be asked to join another batch.

For inquiries and clarifications about the DCCPS Workshop, please email us at capdev.coepsp@dap.edu.ph.

The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through the Center of Excellence on Public-Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), welcomed 27 participants from 8 local government units (LGUs) from the Visayas region to the Development of Public Sector Productivity Specialists – Foundation Course (DPSPS-FC) held in Iloilo City last 29 May to 2 June.

The training is designed to equip technical staff and officers of public-sector organizations with the knowledge and skills in measurement, analysis, planning, and troubleshooting to increase their respective organizations’ productivity. It has four phases: Upskilling, Pitching, Pilot-testing and Coaching, and Knowledge and Experience Sharing Session.

The training course covered sessions on Understanding Productivity Concepts and Measuring Productivity in the Public Sector; Measuring Productivity in the Public Sector; Diagnosing and Analyzing Productivity; and Identifying Productivity Improvement Solutions.

Former DAP Center for Knowledge Management Vice President Ms. Elena Cruz, Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Productivity Expert Ms. Niña Estudillo, and DAP Resident Fellow Director Maria Rosario Ablan served as resource persons of the said sessions.

Dr. Raul Banias, Provincial Administrator, welcomed the DPSPS-FC participants during the courtesy visit at the provincial capitol.

Meanwhile, Ms. Salvacion Sibonga of the Information Communication Technology Management Office presented their own initiatives that boost productivity through the use of ICT. Their initiatives such as the electronic document tracking, Bayad Center queuing, and electronic assessment and collection systems helped reduce the processing of transactions and organized retrieval of important documents and information.

DAP Resident Fellow Director Maria Rosario Ablan represented the Academy and expressed gratitude to the Provincial Government for welcoming the DPSPS-FC participants and for sharing their ICT best practices that promote public sector productivity.

Representatives from the following LGUs are part of this batch: Municipality of Maydolong (Eastern Samar); Municipality of Batad (Iloilo); Municipality of Leganes (Iloilo); Municipality of Mina (Iloilo); Municipality of New Lucena (Iloilo); Municipality of Sara (Iloilo); Municipality of Javier (Leyte); and Municipality of Hinoba-an (Negros Occidental).