Naga beefs up online delivery of services

THE ITO advisory board during its first meeting last Friday, July 3, this year. Photo shows City Administrator Frank Mendoza (rightmost), chairman of the board, discusses with other board members the necessary measures to ensure that the network connectivity of all offices and departments of the LGU can handle online transactions. JASON NEOLA/CEPPIO

NAGA CITY --- The Sangguniang Panglunsod here has approved last month an ordinance that seeks to strengthen the Information and Technoloagy Office (ITO) to hasten and make more efficient the city government’s delivery of services and interconnect offices in City Hall with those of Naga’s 27 barangays.

Authored by City Councilor Joselito SA del Rosario, the ordinance mandated the upgrading of ITO including strengthening close collaboration among the various departments and offices of the city government and the city’s 27 barangays.

“Given the rapid and robust development of information and communications technology (ICT) amidst the backdrop of coronavirus and the probable emergence of other infectious diseases, a strengthened and empowered ITO is not only a commitment, but a necessity as well,” Del Rosario said.

The measure, which was enacted pursuant to the government’s policy that took cognizance of ICT’s vital role in nation-building, like the e-commerce law, also discouraged face-to-face transactions and reinforced the government’s strategy to minimize the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in the city.

Aside from ITO’s existing organizational structure consisting of four divisions such as the: Systems Development and Maintenance; Network and Database Administration; Administrative; and IT Support, a position of one system’s analyst was created.

Del Rosario said that among the primary thrusts of the undertaking is to be able to help the Department of Education in the city in the implementation of its blended learning approach, which combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional place-based classroom methods.

The ordinance further created the ITO’s advisory board, which is composed of the: city administrator; SP chairpersons of Trade and Industry Committee; and Appropriations Committee; secretary to the Mayor; president of the Liga ng mga Barangay; ITO head; City Planning and Development Officer; City Human Resources Management Officer; Metro PESO manager; City Accountant; City Assessor; president of Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry; pepresentative from Naga City Visually Impaired Association; with the City Events, Protocol and Public Information Office as secretariat.