The enrolled copy of the “Konektadong Pinoy” bill was officially transmitted to Malacañang on July 24, starting the 30-day countdown for presidential action.
If Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. neither signs nor vetoes the measure, it will automatically lapse into law by August 23.
Under Philippine legislative procedure, an enrolled bill is the final version of a proposed law, approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and certified by their respective secretaries.
Once sent to the President, it becomes law either through a signature or by default after 30 days without action, barring a veto.
Meanwhile, Sen. Imee Marcos, principal author of the proposed law, called on the president to sign the bill without delay and urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to begin drafting its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
Quoting the President’s 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA), the presidential sister emphasized the urgency of digital transformation in government.
“Digitalization is the call of today, not the future,” President Marcos had said. “It is needed today.”
Sen. Marcos said this underscores the need for immediate implementation of the proposed measure, which aims to strengthen digital infrastructure and services for Filipinos.
She also echoed Philtrust Bank chairman Hermogenes Esperon’s observation that the president missed the chance in his most recent SONA to lay out a roadmap for expanding the digital economy.
“Esperon is right,” Marcos said. “It was a missed opportunity to present concrete plans that could boost government revenue and help reduce the annual budget deficit.”
To support the rollout of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, the senator proposed that funding be included in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
“We are already a generation behind in digitalization. Further delays threaten our national development. We must allocate the necessary funding now,” she added.
