Category: Citizen-centered Services

Overview

The Laguna Medical Center Queuing Management System (QMS) is a technology-driven solution designed to optimize patient services efficiently. The primary challenge it addresses is the inefficient utilization of resources and time in managing patient queues. The QMS optimizes the patient journey, eliminating long wait times, streamlining operations, and enhancing resource allocation. Key features include automated routing, priority handling for special cases, open-source adaptability, and educational health videos. By ensuring patients receive prompt services with minimal hassle, the QMS enhances productivity, resource management, and overall patient satisfaction.

Challenge

The Laguna Medical Center faced lengthy patient wait times and chaotic queues. The manual queuing system often resulted in disruptions and mismanagement of patient flow, necessitating additional administrative personnel to handle the queues.

Moreover, the lack of a structured approach adversely affected the quality of patient care, with some individuals needing timely attention due to queue disruptions or record misplacement. This undermined the medical center’s ability to efficiently serve its patients, manage resources, and maintain high healthcare standards.

Solution

The introduction of the QMS aimed to tackle the challenges by automating and streamlining the queuing process, ensuring prompt services for patients, and optimizing resource allocation, ultimately enhancing productivity and healthcare service quality.

Its key features and innovations include:

Automated Routing: Unlike traditional queuing systems that require patients to obtain a new ticket for each service, the QMS utilizes advanced routing. Once patients receive their initial ticket, they are automatically directed to subsequent services based on their previous ticket number, eliminating the need for constant returns to the ticket booth, reducing wait times, and streamlining the process.

Priority Flagging: The QMS enables operators to prioritize patients based on their specific needs, such as individuals with disabilities. This ensures that vulnerable patients receive more convenient and efficient service, demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity and improved patient care.

Open Source Software: One remarkable aspect of this system is its use of open-source software. This allows for easy replication and modification by other developers and institutions, making it adaptable for similar queuing management needs across various organizations.

Smaller File Size: The QMS boasts smaller files compared to similar systems, facilitating replication in other offices and institutions while reducing hardware and software resource requirements.

Educational Health Videos: The QMS goes beyond mere queue management by incorporating the innovative feature of playing educational health videos while patients wait, providing patients with essential health knowledge and encouraging healthier lifestyles.

Productivity Gains, Outcomes, and Impact

According to Randolf Abadier Jr., Assistant Systems Administrator, the QMS streamlined patient flow by automating routing, reducing the time patients spend in queues from more than an hour to 15 minutes, and enhancing service efficiency. The system seamlessly assigns patient ticket numbers and routes them to the appropriate departments, preventing long waits and disruptions.

Crystal Jade Gache, a Social Worker, highlighted that the QMS effectively controls the number of people entering the office, ensuring manageable client interviews for better time management. Patients no longer endure long, chaotic lines but can sit comfortably, knowing the system will notify them when it’s their turn.

Dr. Judy Rondilla, Chief of Hospital, emphasized that although patients initially experienced confusion, they quickly adapted, improving overall satisfaction. Furthermore, the priority flagging feature assists vulnerable patients, offering a more convenient and respectful service.

The QMS also provides real-time data insights into patient volumes and queue lengths, which is invaluable for resource allocation and staff management. It allows the hospital to optimize operations according to demand, significantly improving productivity.

Jonel Osio, Supervising Administrative Officer, noted that the QMS has made processing faster and more convenient, ensuring efficient staff resource utilization and reducing administrative bottlenecks, leading to a more productive work environment.

Dr. Rondilla shared that the success of the QMS has inspired plans for expansion to other departments and even other hospitals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.

While exact statistics are not provided, the qualitative feedback from key informants strongly suggests that the QMS has led to productivity gains, including time savings, improved resource utilization, and enhanced patient satisfaction. These outcomes collectively demonstrate how the intervention has positively impacted the Laguna Medical Center’s operations and patients, aligning with the core goals of public-sector productivity.

Lessons Learned and Challenges in Implementing the Intervention

Key lessons learned from the implementation of the Laguna Medical Center’s QMS include the importance of comprehensive user training to ensure a smooth transition and efficient utilization of the system. Users’ feedback, such as the request for an “undo” feature, highlights the need for continuous improvement in the user experience, making the system more user-friendly and reducing errors.

Improvements in the display functionality have been suggested, such as seeing all tickets on the dashboard, enhancing visibility, and assisting staff in resource allocation and patient prioritization.

Due to the sensitive nature of patient data, ensuring robust data security measures is crucial. Continuous assessment and enhancement of data security protocols are necessary to safeguard patient information.

As the QMS expands to other departments and facilities, scalability and adaptability to different contexts and needs are vital, as each department or facility may have unique requirements that must be addressed during implementation.

Patient feedback and the initial confusion during the transition period highlight the importance of patient education, emphasizing the need for clear and accessible information for patients on how to use the QMS to improve their experience and reduce misunderstandings. Implementing a structured feedback mechanism can help gather insights from users and patients, enabling continuous improvement in the system’s functionality and overall effectiveness.

In conclusion, the lessons learned and potential areas of improvement for the Laguna Medical Center QMS revolve around user training, user-friendly features, display functionality, data security, scalability, patient education, and feedback mechanisms. Addressing these aspects can contribute to the system’s ongoing success and positively impact operational efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Resources

6 winning lgus in Digital Governance Awards 2019 get China trip. Philippine Information Agency. (2019, November 29). https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087200

Overview

Faced with manual operations, time-consuming processes, and limited data accessibility, the Laguna Medical Center sought a solution. The Integrated Hospital Operations and Management Information System (iHOMIS) is a computer-based system developed by the Philippine Department of Health to streamline patient management, enhance service delivery and reduce processing time, which complies with healthcare standards. This innovation enables the Provincial Government of Laguna to optimize the use of public resources and improve healthcare services for its constituents. Transitioning from manual to digital operations was achieved through comprehensive training, addressing employee resistance, effective communication, and hardware upgrades.

Challenge

The main challenge the iHOMIS addresses is the inefficiency and complexity of manual healthcare management processes in the public healthcare system. Before iHOMIS, hospitals, including the Laguna Medical Center, faced hurdles like slow patient data retrieval, cumbersome record keeping, and lengthy transaction processing times. These challenges resulted in prolonged patient waiting times, increased staff workload, and potential data management errors. iHOMIS aimed to transform these operations by digitizing and automating various functions, including patient admission, billing, claims processing, and report generation. By streamlining these processes and providing quick access to patient data, iHOMIS aims to enhance the efficiency of healthcare services, reduce administrative burdens, and optimize the allocation of public resources while ultimately delivering higher-quality patient care.

Solution

The iHOMIS provides a comprehensive and integrated digital platform for hospital management. This innovation offers a range of solutions to improve hospital management. Firstly, iHOMIS enables faster retrieval and quick access to patient data, reducing patient waiting times and streamlining processes for hospital staff. This is achieved by digitizing patient records and allowing easy access to their medical history. The system’s innovative features include:

Comprehensive Patient Management: iHOMIS integrates various modules, including admission, billing, patient records, and claims processing. This integration minimizes duplicated efforts among departments, ensuring accurate and up-to-date patient information is available across the hospital.

Real-time Reporting: iHOMIS generates various reports on collections, revenues, expenses, and statistics in real-time. This eliminates the previous two to three days delay for generating reports, enabling quicker decision-making by hospital administrators. Dr. Rene P. Bagamasbad, Provincial Health Officer II, emphasized the transparent operations and financial accountability that iHOMIS introduced, providing accurate insights into expenses, dispensing of medications, and other hospital processes.

PhilHealth Integration: iHOMIS seamlessly integrates with PhilHealth, enabling online verification of patient eligibility and claims processing. This eliminates the need for manual submission of documents and reduces processing time and costs. Menandro C. Pailan, Section Head for Claims and Benefits Section, stated that the system has significantly expedited claims processing, reducing reimbursement time from months to a month. This improved patient satisfaction and accelerated revenue cycles for the hospital.

Process Automation: The system automates claims monitoring, reducing administrative workload and minimizing errors in claims processing.

What makes these features innovative is the holistic approach that combines patient care, administrative efficiency, and regulatory compliance in a single system. The real-time reporting and integration with external agencies like PhilHealth enhance transparency and accountability.

Productivity Gains, Outcomes, and Impact

Implementing the iHOMIS has resulted in substantial, measurable productivity gains and positive results for the hospital and its patients. One of the key improvements is the faster retrieval and quick access to patient data. Previously, retrieving patient records manually took several minutes and sometimes even longer if records were misplaced. With iHOMIS, the process has been reduced to mere seconds, enhancing the efficiency of patient care. This improved speed not only saves time but also accommodates a higher volume of patients seeking medical records, doubling the capacity of the hospital to provide this service.

Another significant achievement is reducing processing time for various hospital transactions, such as patient admission, billing, and Philhealth claims. In the past, these processes could take up to 15 minutes for billing alone, but now, with the system’s automation and integration, it takes only 3-5 minutes to complete the entire process, including interviews with patients or their relatives. This has streamlined operations and minimized inconvenience for patients and their families.

Moreover, the system’s ability to generate hospital reports promptly, such as collections, revenues, expenses, and statistical data, showcases the depth of its gains. Reports that used to take days to compile are now generated automatically, improving decision-making and financial management within the hospital. Elenor O. Perejas, System Administrator, highlighted iHOMIS’s contribution on automation and efficiency.

The system’s ability to quickly retrieve patient records, expedite hospital transactions, generate reports, and facilitate Philhealth claims has elevated the hospital’s efficiency, reduced waiting times, and enhanced overall patient satisfaction.

Lessons Learned/Challenges in Implementing the Intervention

The introduction of iHOMIS has imparted valuable insights to the hospital administration and stakeholders. A noteworthy lesson is the necessity of effective communication and collaboration among staff and departments while adopting new technology. The initial resistance from employees unfamiliar with tech-based systems highlights the importance of thorough training and gradual integration to ensure a smooth transition. Moreover, building strong relationships between IT personnel and staff played a pivotal role in overcoming challenges and fostering adaptability.

The system’s successful deployment at LMC also serves as a model for other healthcare institutions looking to modernize their operations. However, the expansion of iHOMIS presents some areas for improvement. The need for increased hardware and better internet connectivity was highlighted, essential for handling cloud-based services and ensuring seamless data access. Extending iHOMIS’s features could enhance operational efficiency and patient experience. The lessons from LMC’s experience underscore the significance of stakeholder engagement, gradual implementation, and addressing infrastructure limitations for a successful digital transformation in the healthcare sector.

Resources

Aquino, R. (2022, March 4). Janairo receives award from Laguna Medical Center. The Manila Times. https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/03/05/news/regions/janairo-receives-award-from-laguna-medical-center/1835179

Ismael, J. J. (2021, May 22). 113th malasakit center opens in San Pablo City. The Manila Times. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/23/news/regions/113th-malasakit-center-opens-in-san-pablo-city/1800287

Overview

The Laguna Iskolar Information System (IIS) is an innovative platform that efficiently manages the scholarship program in the province. By automating the application and verification processes, IIS significantly reduces time, resources, and paperwork, allowing the government to provide scholarships to deserving students promptly. Historically, the main challenge was the restriction on physical interaction during the pandemic and budget allocation. The IIS addresses this by offering real-time verification, digital document storage, and a secure data privacy framework. With its successful implementation, the Provincial Government of Laguna was recognized first place in the 2020 DICT Digital Governance Awards-Provincial Level Category as the Best in e-Governance Customer Empowerment (G2C).

Challenge

The main productivity challenge addressed by the Laguna Iskolar Information System (IIS) is the inefficient and resource-intensive nature of the traditional manual processes for managing the scholarship program. Before the implementation of IIS, the submission and verification of requirements were conducted through physical interactions, leading to delays and increased administrative burden. This manual approach hindered the government’s ability to efficiently utilize public resources, such as time, manpower, and budget allocation. With the introduction of IIS, the entire scholarship process became automated, enabling real-time verification, streamlined application procedures, and digital document storage. As mentioned by Laguna MISO Systems Analyst Derel M. Tuazon, IIS addresses the challenge of restricted physical interactions during the pandemic, saving resources that were previously spent on travel, food, and team logistics.

Solution

The IIS effectively addresses the challenge of inefficiency and resource-intensive manual processes in managing the scholarship program. Its innovative features simplify the scholarship process, optimizing public sector productivity and enhancing service delivery.

Online Application Platform: The IIS allows scholars to register and submit their requirements digitally, eliminating the need for physical interactions. This feature saves time, reduces paperwork, and provides a convenient and accessible application process.

Real-Time Verification: IIS offers real-time verification of documents, providing immediate feedback to applicants through email or text messages. This swift verification process expedites the evaluation of scholar applications, reducing waiting times for applicants and improving efficiency.

Secure Data Privacy Framework: IIS ensures the confidentiality and security of scholars’ personal information and documents. The use of a robust data privacy framework instills trust among applicants and complies with data protection regulations.

Paperless Transactions: IIS minimizes the need for physical document storage, reducing the use of paper and physical storage space.

Dashboard: IIS includes a dashboard that displays relevant information about scholars, their backgrounds, and courses. This centralized repository enhances decision-making and program management for administrators, providing quick access to vital data. As noted by Laguna Provincial Government Assistant Department Head Carina F. Macalos, IIS provides a comprehensive view of the scholar’s details. The system allows the government to make informed choices and allocate resources effectively.

Open-Source Libraries: The use of open-source libraries in IIS makes the system cost-effective and adaptable to future advancements. It promotes collaborative development and ensures sustainability in the long run.

The Laguna Iskolar Information System’s innovative features provide efficient and secure digital solutions to the public sector’s productivity challenge. By automating processes, offering real-time verification, and ensuring data privacy, IIS optimizes the use of public resources, reduces administrative burden, and fosters good governance in delivering a quality scholarship program to the youth of Laguna.

Productivity Gains, Outcomes, and Impact

Through the implementation of the Laguna Iskolar Information System (IIS), the Provincial Government of Laguna has achieved remarkable gains in organizational productivity. Below are the notable measurable productivity gains and positive outcomes realized by IIS.

Faster Application Process: IIS’s online application platform and real-time document verification have significantly expedited the application process. IIS reduced the application and verification time from 7-14 days to real-time, allowing swift processing of scholar applications.

Increased Accessibility: With the streamlined and efficient online application process, IIS has become more accessible to the youth population in Laguna. To date, a total of 2,169 out of 2,338, or 92.90% new scholars have been registered in the system since its implementation.

Improved User Experience: Former Scholar Jannie Rosella J. Pereira reported a positive experience with IIS, emphasizing clear instructions from the office, quick responses to concerns, and the user-friendly nature of the system. This improved user experience enhances satisfaction and trust among scholars in the scholarship program.

Resource Optimization: The automation of processes through IIS has significantly reduced the need for physical interactions, manpower, and budget allocation.

Lessons Learned and Challenges in Implementing the Intervention

The implementation of the IIS has provided valuable insights and lessons for the Provincial Government of Laguna. One major lesson learned is the importance of building strong relationships with users to foster better system adoption. The success of IIS largely depended on the willingness of users to embrace change and adapt to the new system. To overcome this challenge, IIS deployed personnel to assist users during the transition period, allowing them to appreciate the system’s benefits gradually.

Another lesson learned from the IIS implementation is the need for active user involvement during the development process. Gathering requirements and involving users from different offices early on can lead to a more customized and user-friendly system. This approach can ensure that the system is tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the users, thus promoting better acceptance and usage.

The potential areas of improvement for IIS include continuous enhancements based on user feedback. IIS has established feedback mechanisms, such as request forms and verbal communication, to collect insights for further improvements. Addressing feedback promptly can lead to a more efficient and effective system that aligns better with user requirements.

Moreover, IIS can explore the use of emerging technologies to enhance its features and functionalities. Leveraging AI and machine learning can help in automating certain processes, such as profiling applicants for suitable employment opportunities, as suggested in the interview notes.

Overall, IIS has demonstrated its potential to optimize public sector productivity in Laguna. Through its innovative features, IIS has improved the scholarship application process, making it faster, more accessible, and environmentally friendly. The positive impact on scholars’ experience and the efficient utilization of public resources demonstrate IIS’s effectiveness in achieving the government’s productivity goals while providing more opportunities to the youth of Laguna.

Resources

Ebron, J. (2023, July 20). UPOU, PESO Laguna and Concentrix Philippines explore Barangay Transformation and digitalization of employment servicing. University of the Philippines Open University. https://www.upou.edu.ph/news/upou-peso-laguna-and-concentrix-philippines-explore-barangay-transformation-and-digitalization-of-employment-servicing/

Makinano, R. D. (2018, September 18). An assessment on the functionality of the Iskolar ng Laguna Program Committee: Towards an enhanced client-oriented service performance package. Ascendens Asia Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Conference Proceedings. https://ojs.aaresearchindex.com/index.php/aajmrcp/article/view/598

Overview

The Province of Laguna Employment and Information System (PLEIS) is an online job-matching platform designed to efficiently connect job seekers and employers. PESO successfully implemented PLEIS, offering a wide array of job vacancies and speeding up the hiring process for employers, which helps alleviate financial restrictions around job searching. The employment portal was also one of the instruments used to aid the constituents during the pandemic job loss and unemployment. PLEIS addressed this by providing an accessible, cost-effective, and paperless job application process, allowing job seekers to explore endless job opportunities from the comfort of their homes. The system’s success stems from its proficiency in matching qualified candidates to job postings while serving as a dependable data source for monitoring labor market trends, which is why it was recognized by the 2021 DICT Digital Governance Awards as 2nd Place in Best in Government Internal Operations (G2I).

Challenge

The primary challenge that the Province of Laguna Employment and Information System (PLEIS) effectively addresses is optimizing the allocation of public resources to enhance the delivery of quality employment services for constituents. Traditional job search methods, like walk-in applications and physical job fairs, exert a substantial demand on the Provincial Government of Laguna’s resources. These conventional approaches incur expenses related to transportation, food, venue rental, and manpower. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced physical limitations and restrictions on large gatherings. Additionally, PESO staff is burdened with managing voluminous documents from applicants across the province, hampering the swift matching with potential employers. Emphasizing the significance of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making, Provincial Employment Service Officer-in-Charge Mary Jane T. Banasihan-Corcuera underscores the importance of enhancing service delivery.

Solution

The Province of Laguna Employment and Information System (PLEIS) addresses the challenge of efficient delivery of employment services through several innovative features:

Enhanced Online Job Matching: PLEIS offers an advanced online job-matching platform that allows job seekers to post their applications and apply for job vacancies suitable to their career track. This feature provides a vast pool of opportunities accessible from the comfort of their homes, reducing the need for costly and time-consuming walk-in applications.

Paperless Process: By transitioning to a paperless application process, PLEIS optimizes the use of public resources, minimizing the need for physical paperwork and manual processing. This saves time, effort, and costs for both the Employment Service Office and the job seekers.

Virtual Job Fairs and Recruitment Activities: PLEIS hosts virtual job fairs and recruitment activities, providing a safe and convenient environment for job seekers and employers to interact. This innovative approach ensures continuity in job placements, even during pandemic restrictions, without compromising public health.

Data-Driven Labor Market Trends: PLEIS serves as a reliable and efficient source of data in monitoring labor market trends. By analyzing the data on job applications, vacancies, and hiring trends, PLEIS assists policymakers and employers in making informed decisions, optimizing the allocation of public resources.

Messaging Mechanism: The platform incorporates a messaging mechanism, enabling timely and efficient communication between job seekers and employers. This innovative feature enhances the application process and promotes direct interaction, improving the overall efficiency of employment services.

Applicant Statistics Map: A powerful and intuitive tool that provides comprehensive insights into job seekers’ data and geographical distribution. This feature is part of the administrative backend accessible to the Provincial Employment Service Office (PESO) staff and authorized personnel. The dashboard showcases a visual representation of applicant statistics across different municipalities and cities within the Province of Laguna, allowing administrators to assess the distribution of job seekers throughout the region.

Partnerships with Stakeholders: PLEIS fosters partnerships with various stakeholders, including educational institutions and agencies, to offer additional training and upscaling opportunities for job seekers. This innovative collaboration strengthens the workforce and enhances employability, aligning job seekers’ skills with industry demands.

What makes these features innovative is their integration of modern technology and data-driven approaches to optimize public sector productivity in employment services. PLEIS leverages digital platforms to provide cost-effective and accessible job-matching solutions, resulting in large-scale job placements, economic impact, and increased efficiency in the labor market.

Productivity Gains, Outcomes, and Impact

PLEIS has demonstrated significant measurable gains in public sector productivity, positively impacting the Provincial Government of Laguna and its citizens.

One of the key outcomes of PLEIS is the increase in the number of registered job seekers, partner companies, and job postings. PLEIS currently has 24,564 registered job seekers, 138 partner companies, and 386 active job postings. This data reflects the system’s success in efficiently connecting job seekers with potential employers, contributing to enhanced productivity in the labor market.

Furthermore, the successful implementation of 16 Virtual Job Fairs and 7 Virtual Local Recruitment Activities illustrates the system’s adaptability and efficiency in organizing virtual events. This approach not only ensures the safety of citizens during the pandemic but also demonstrates a forward-thinking strategy to improve public sector productivity by incorporating modern technology in service delivery.

The data-driven approach of PLEIS has also proven to be beneficial in monitoring labor market trends, providing valuable insights for policymakers and employers. By analyzing the data on job applications, vacancies, and hiring trends, the Provincial Government of Laguna can make informed decisions on workforce development and resource allocation, further optimizing productivity in the public sector.

For job seekers like Zeline Peria, PLEIS has made the job search process more accessible and convenient, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming physical applications.

The system’s efficiency allowed her to secure employment within a short period. Additionally, employers like Concentrix Philippines Talent Delivery Leader Alejandro U. Pagulayan praised PLEIS for its large-scale job placements and significant cost savings, reflecting the positive impact on businesses and the economy.

Overall, PLEIS has improved the productivity performance of the Provincial Government of Laguna by efficiently utilizing public resources to provide quality employment services. Through its innovative features, data-driven approach, and partnerships with stakeholders, PLEIS has become a successful model for other local governments. The measurable outcomes, including increased job seeker and partner company registrations, successful virtual events, and data-driven labor market insights, reflect the tangible benefits that PLEIS brings to the citizens of the Province of Laguna.

Lessons Learned and Challenges in Implementing the Intervention

The Province of Laguna Employment and Information System (PLEIS) has undoubtedly achieved significant success in improving employment services and public sector productivity. However, there are valuable lessons learned and potential areas of improvement that can further enhance its impact.

Adaptability: PLEIS demonstrated the importance of being adaptable to changing circumstances, as seen in its successful transition to virtual job fairs during the pandemic. This lesson highlights the need to continuously update and refine the system to meet the evolving needs of job seekers and employers.

Stakeholder Collaboration: The success of PLEIS is attributed to its strong collaboration with stakeholders, including educational institutions and partner companies. The lesson here is that continued partnership and engagement with various stakeholders are crucial for sustained success and innovative enhancements.

The following highlights potential areas of improvement for PLEIS, drawn from the experiences and recommendations shared by various individuals involved in its implementation:

Bug Resolution: The experience shared by PESO IT Support Lexter Jay R. Mecija regarding the challenges faced during the pandemic emphasized the importance of promptly resolving bugs and technical issues. Continuously monitoring and improving the system’s performance will ensure a smooth user experience.

Training and Upscaling: Concentrix Philippines Talent Delivery Leader Alejandro U. Pagulayan suggested the inclusion of training and upscaling features, particularly micro-learning, to address the specific needs of job seekers and help them meet industry demands. This addition would enhance employability and job match potential.

User Experience: PLEIS Focal Person Adrian D. Escoses highlighted the significance of incorporating a new landing page and enhancing the user experience. Improving the platform’s aesthetics and user interface will attract more users and make it easier for them to navigate and utilize its features.

By incorporating these lessons learned and addressing potential areas of improvement, the Province of Laguna can further optimize the efficiency and impact of PLEIS, fostering good governance and positively impacting the citizens by providing quality employment services.

Resources

BMPlus. (2021, July 26). Laguna to launch centralized hotline number for easy access to service and faster government response: Bmplus. BusinessMirror. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/26/laguna-to-launch-centralized-hotline-number-for-easy-access-to-service-and-faster-government-response/

Manila, R. (2022, October 4). Pagbisita ng Dzxl 558 Radyo Trabaho sa peso Navotas, Tuloy Na Ngayong Araw. RMN Networks. https://rmn.ph/pagbisita-ng-dzxl-558-radyo-trabaho-sa-peso-navotas-tuloy-na-ngayong-araw/

Overview

Through its innovative Smart City platforms, Baguio City leverages data analytics and artificial intelligence to enact good governance. This comprehensive initiative encompasses various aspects, including tourism management, public safety, traffic control, disaster risk reduction, environmental preservation, and citizen welfare. With the state-of-the-art Smart City Command Center at its core, Baguio City officials gain valuable insights from multiple data sources and cutting-edge technology such as AI-enabled cameras and environmental sensors. This streamlined approach ensures swift response times and efficient resource allocation.

Challenges

Before the implementation of the Smart City Project, the City Government of Baguio relied on a decentralized system to address pressing challenges within the city, such as traffic congestion, environmental degradation, and crimes. However, this outdated system posed additional obstacles, including extended resolution times, restricted operational collaboration, and communication issues among various offices and departments. Consequently, the delivery of public services suffered from delays and inefficiencies.

Solutions

In September 2018, Baguio City took a significant step towards enhancing the services provided to residents and tourists by inaugurating the groundbreaking Smart City Command Center. As the first of its kind in the country, this cutting-edge hub offers a comprehensive and unified view of the entire city, accessible to all government agencies, including the City Mayor. The primary aim of this pioneering project is to centralize and streamline all city operations, enabling swift and informed decision-making and responses to various situations. By consolidating critical data and resources in one location, the Smart City Command Center empowers the city authorities to proactively address the community’s needs and ensure efficient service delivery.

Since its inception, the Smart City Command Center has emerged as the central hub for data analysis and decision-making in Baguio, effectively serving as the city’s eyes and ears. With its advanced capabilities, the Command Center can swiftly identify anomalies and promptly alert the relevant authorities for resolution, often within minutes. This includes round-the-clock monitoring of traffic conditions, public well-being, and environmental factors. The traditional process of generating department-specific reports for the City Mayor, coordinating with other government entities for cohesive action, and navigating various obstacles has replaced the Command Center’s ability to gather, process, and analyze data in real-time. Consequently, it can produce comprehensive reports within minutes, leading to timely resolutions and swift responses to emerging challenges.

Baguio City has significantly upgraded its infrastructure, including mainframe computers, AI-enabled CCTVs, environmental monitors, GPS devices for public transport, high-resolution panoramic surveillance cameras, and a team of skilled staff with hardware and software development expertise.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong underscored that addressing the safety and security of the city is just one component of the Smart City Project.

The Baguio Smart City key features include:

• Smart Security System: AI-powered surveillance cameras enable real-time monitoring, facial recognition, object detection, and traffic congestion analysis. Immediate deployment of resources and personnel is facilitated once an issue is identified.

• Smart Emergency Response System: Utilizing Baguio In My Pocket (BIMP) and Baguio 911, distress calls can be promptly located and addressed within the city’s geofence area.

• E-Government System and E-Business Infrastructure: The BIMP app enables real-time property tax assessment, settlement, and online business payments to the city hall.

• Smart Tourism: Baguio VISITA (Visitor Information and Travel Assistance) is a dedicated tourist app that provides information on city navigation, rules, and regulations. It proved especially valuable during the easing of lockdown restrictions, ensuring safe and compliant tourism practices.

• Environment Management: Monitoring devices at high-traffic locations regularly update air and water pollution levels.

• Smart Transportation: GPS monitors installed in public transport vehicles enable real-time speed monitoring, allowing instant communication with drivers. This system also assists with lost items, accidents, and other transportation-related issues.
• Smart Healthcare Monitoring System: Collaborating with healthcare providers, the Smart City Command Center creates disease heat maps to respond to outbreaks such as Dengue and COVID-19. The system also helps identify nearby healthcare centers for emergency response.
• External Projects: Besides funding from the Executive branch, the development of Baguio’s Smart City was made possible through project engagements and grants from various international actors. These external projects placed Baguio on the map for environmental innovations and significantly enhanced its resources. Two notable initiatives that contributed to the city’s growth are MINERVA and the Flood Early Warning System projects.

Productivity Gains, Outcomes, Impact

Through the Smart City Command Center, Baguio City has implemented data-driven policies, leading to tangible outcomes and improved governance.

According to Mayor Magalong, they can generate real-time data from the Smart City platform within a few hours and utilize this relevant data in crafting strategic responses to various issues in the city. For instance, analysis of pollution levels and traffic patterns facilitated the decision to replace taxis with mass transport options, addressing air pollution and congestion issues. During the pandemic, the strategic mapping of COVID-19 cases enabled targeted lockdowns and minimized disruptions.

Adam Bert Lacay, Supervisor of the Smart City Command Center, emphasized the impact of the command center in helping City Officials make better decisions for the welfare of Baguio citizens.

The Command Center’s continuous monitoring of CCTVs has expedited responses to traffic violations and lost items. As of 9 June 2023, the Smart City Command Center has catered to 665 CCTV video playback requests and 120 CCTV video extractions. The latter two are most important in achieving lower crime rates and infractions.

As of 9 June 2023, Baguio 911 has been most helpful in Ambulance Assistance, garnering 760 calls, with police assistance at 290 calls, vehicular accident distress calls at 94, a public nuisance at 84 calls, and disturbance and petty infractions at 34 calls.

Lessons Learned And Challenges In Implementing The Intervention

Baguio’s transition to a Smart City model has brought about a modernized governance that can be incomparably reachable to its people. However, their challenges during the implementation are internet speed, consistency issues, resistance to technology adaption among constituents, and coordination difficulties among departments. The deployment of facial recognition and personal data plotting awaits the release of Implementing Rules and Regulations by the National Privacy Commission.

Despite these hurdles, Baguio Smart City remains operational 24/7 through failsafe mechanisms and backup connectivity plans, ensuring the city’s commitment to data-driven good governance.

The Command Center is poised to expand in the next few years, moving to a higher and more strategic location to take advantage of Baguio’s terrain for a 360-degree view, digitally and in reality. Beyond this, the Command Center is pushing to automate other services for future generations– from waste management to crime prevention.

Mayor Magalong emphasizes the crucial role of youth in this endeavor, recognizing them as the actual beneficiaries and innovators who will carry this project forward. While his generation may serve as catalysts, the mayor envisions the youth as the driving force behind the continued success and advancement of the Command Center. To Mayor Magalong, the Command Center is not just a project; it represents a lasting legacy that he hopes will position Baguio City as an advanced, smart city, potentially surpassing international smart city models in terms of technological prowess and progress.

Sources

• Baguio City Mayor’s Office. (ND). Smart City Vision for Baguio City. PDF.
• Baguio City Mayor’s Office. (ND). Smart City Project. PDF.
• Baguio Visita. (n.d.). https://visita.baguio.gov.ph/
• BIMP User Manual. Baguio In My Pocket. (n.d.). https://baguioinmypocket.ph/
• N.A. (ND). Pioneering the Development of a Cutting-Edge Smart City in the Philippines. PDF.
• N.A. (ND). Executive Summary for Smart City Command Center. PDF.

Overview

The City Government of Baguio has taken a significant step toward seamless public service delivery by implementing the Electronic Budgeting, Procurement, Inventory, and Monitoring System (eBPIMS). This innovative system integrates various departments and processes, including planning, budgeting, procurement, inventory management, and project monitoring. By automating government procedures and reducing reliance on paper-based transactions, eBPIMS saves valuable time and resources, enabling the City Government to operate faster and efficiently serve its constituents.

Challenges

Before implementing eBPIMS, the City Government of Baguio faced several challenges in financial transactions, including slow procurement processes, document losses, and clerical errors. Manual processes require end-users to visit multiple offices to monitor transactions, check budget balances, and track purchase requests. Additionally, report generation was time-consuming and prone to spreadsheet data manipulation.

Solution

To overcome these challenges and enhance efficiency, the City Government of Baguio developed the eBPIMS under the supervision of the City Budget Office and the City Management Information Technology Division (MITD). eBPIMS maintains a secure database, tracks document movement, and eliminates bottlenecks in manual processes.

According to Atty. Leticia Clemente, Baguio City Budget Officer, they initially focused on budget systems. Eventually, they expanded the integration to include other departments such as accounting, treasury, and procurement. By leveraging systems development, the City Government aims to optimize the utilization of limited resources.

These are key features of the eBPIMS:

• Automation: It automates transaction processes such as planning, budgeting, and procurement through the system.
• Tracking and Monitoring: It empowers end-users to monitor the status of their budgets, purchase requests, and feedback through the system.
• Improved Service: Enables prompt internal transactions, leading to the more efficient delivery of public e-governance services in Baguio City.
• Report Generation: Facilitates faster report generation by streamlining data consolidation through eBPIMS, supporting top-level management decision-making.

Specifically, the functional and integrated features of eBPIMS include the following:

• Catalog Creation: Standardizes procurable items with detailed specifications, ensuring only listed items can be procured.
• Electronic Preparation of the Project Procurement Monitoring Plan (PPMP): Simplifies the preparation of the yearly PPMP by selecting items from the Catalog and specifying quantities and order times.
• Annual Budget Generation: eBPIMS Consolidates PPMP contents to generate a budget aligned with the city’s needs based on current market prices.
• Purchase Request Creation: Prepares purchase requests based on the PPMP schedule.

• Transaction Monitoring: Facilitates efficient public service delivery by monitoring the transactions promptly.
• Human Resource Information System (HRIS): Shares employee information in a database utilized by eBPIMS to generate the Plantilla and Personnel Services (PS) budget per office.
• Registry of Appropriations, Allotment, and Obligations (RAO): Shares appropriation and actual expense data, validating obligations and providing real-time information regarding the annual budget.
• Electronic Business Permit and Licensing System (eBPLS): Shares a city projects and bidders database, enabling eBPIMS to identify bidders requiring payment for bid documents and associated costs, expediting transactions.

Productivity Gains, Outcomes, Impact

Since its launch in 2020, eBPIMS has processed a substantial number of approved transactions. Shown below is the breakdown per year as of June 2023, based on the data from MITD:

Year	Total number of approved transactions processed in eBPIMS
2020	25,434
2021	23,343
2022	29,330
2023	16,358

eBPIMS has made an impact on its end-users and beneficiaries. Compared to the manual process, faster transactions are done daily because the system is accessible anywhere with internet connection.

Budget Officer II Jenatt Balagot highlighted the convenience and accessibility provided by eBPIMS. They can work anytime and anywhere using desktops, laptops, cell phones, or tablets.

The remote transaction process has considerably shortened the time required for order creation, submission, review, and approval, now taking only minutes.

Budget Officer I Sidney Faye Almazan highlighted this as she noted significant improvements in closing daily obligations, such as processing Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) transactions, increasing efficiency from 10 transactions per day to as many as one per minute.

Supervising Administrative Officer Leopoldo Oviedo Jr. identifies user-friendliness, improved governance, and accountability as the key benefits of eBPIMS.

For Economist II Angeli Niña Zandra Uson, the remote capabilities of eBPIMS enable end-users to review orders, check budget balances, and monitor bidding projects regardless of time and location.

Lessons Learned and Challenges in Implementing the Intervention

Despite the significant results achieved with eBPIMS, the system encountered challenges, such as dependence on internet connectivity and power supply for processing requests and transactions. Integrating a fully functional feedback mechanism, improving forms integration, and ensuring sufficient data storage and backups are ongoing concerns the MITD addresses.

Sources

Document from the City Government of Baguio. Digital Cities eGOV Awards for LGU.
Refuerzo, A. P. (2021, October 31). City shines in 2021 digital governance awards night. Baguio Midland Courier. Retrieved from https://www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/city-shines-in-2021-digital-governance-awards-night/

Baguio Herald Express. (2021, September 27). Baguio shines in 2021 Digital Governance Awards Program. Baguio Herald Express. Retrieved from https://baguioheraldexpressonline.com/baguio-shines-in-2021-digital-governance-awards-program/