NEDA director-general Karl Chua said he saw the significance of digitalization during the pandemic when social protection programs cannot be delivered because there was no single registry or database of Filipinos to identify beneficiaries.
Interestingly, manufacturing activities in the computer and electronics industry slowed down to 96 percent in May 2021 from 108.3 percent in April this year.
NEDA has urged the government to speed up the implementation of the digital contact tracing system that could help reduce the period from detection of Covid-19 virus to isolation from 7 to 5 days.
While SMEs are increasingly turning to digital technologies and online sales, the report said it is vital for governments to provide support and assistance during the transition.
Existing railway personnel and maintenance staff can now access self-paced training courses through an online learning platform launched by the newly established Philippine Railways Institute (PRI) with a P307-million grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Among the ICT-related projects being implemented under the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program include the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure Project and the National Broadband Program.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has warned that any delay in the implementation of contactless toll payment scheme would only make motorists and personnel manning the toll plazas vulnerable to the Covid-19.
The government will be requiring airport passengers next month to download Traze, a QR code-based app jointly developed by local firm Cosmotech Philippines and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), which will be pilot-tested in four airports to strengthen the government’s fight against Covid-19.
Although all expressways will be implementing cashless toll collections, motorists without RFID stickers will still be allowed entry to the toll plaza but will be led to an area where their vehicles will be provided with the RFID stickers.
