Despite the controversy generated by his offer to quit, it was generally assumed that DICT undersecretary Eliseo Rio Jr. would remain in his post after patching up his differences with DICT secretary Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II regarding the agency’s disbursement of its P300-million confidential funds.
Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. made the suggestion in a Senate resolution that was filed a day after Albay representative Joey Salceda proposed the imposition of tax on Netflix and Facebook ads, among other Internet firms, as a way of generating revenues for the government.
Filipino-owned software firm Pointwest Technologies said it has developed a new mobile app that can help private enterprises determine the risk level, as well as the overall health status, of their employees in relation to Covid-19.
A Senate resolution noted the DICT has not been meeting its targets. In 2018, the agency targeted to add 5,308 sites in 1,500 cities. But as of April 13, 2020, there are only 3,707 live hotspots across the country's public spaces.
The NPC said the WFH setup is a viable strategy to balance the need to preserve the health and well-being of an organization’s workforce with the need to continuously operate and provide services to the public.
The DICT reported that it has already tested 158 dark fiber segments of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and completed construction of the cable landing stations at Baler Aurora and Poro Point, La Union.
Acting NEDA chief Karl Kendrick Chua pointed out that a number of structural reforms should be put in place as he noted that the academe and the technology industry have helped government by providing technological and ICT solutions to address a number of issues related to the government’s Covid-19 response.
Roberto “Obet” Verzola, an electronics and communications engineering graduate of UP, seized the potential of information technology, primarily email, and used it for the benefit of the public and progressive Filipino advocacy groups whose values he shared.
The SC emphasized, however, that hearings in criminal cases through videoconferencing are only for pilot testing and will apply only during the public health emergency period.
The distribution of food and financial aid to families affected by the quarantines caused by Covid-19 would not have been delayed if the National ID program has been fully implemented, three senators have said.
