Following the earlier move made by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
On Friday, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda announced that Transparency Portals have bene created for both thebSocial Security System (SSS), and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Its launch, led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., follows the similar move made by the DPWH in line with teh directive of the President to use technology in fighting corruption, make government services more efficient, and restore public trust.
“Noon November 24, ngayong taon, inilunsad ni Presidente Ferdinand Marcos ang DPWH Transparency Portal kasama po si Secretary Vince (Dizon) bilang bahagi ng mas malawak na push para sa open government at mas malinaw na pag-uulat sa publiko,” said Aguda.
He continued, “Kamakailan, ni-launch iyong PhilHealth last Tuesday, nais naming ibahagi ang transparency portal ng PhilHealth at SSS.“
Aguda described the initiative as a significant step forward in strengthening the country’s digital governance.
He highlighted that the newly launched portals aligns with the government’s mission of letting every Filipino have the capability to see, understand, and actively take part in monitoring government operations.
He pointed out that the DPWH, Philhealth, and SSS were the first to launch these portals, and that other government agencies’ portals would also be launched soon.
These can be accessed through the websites of the DPWH, SSS, and PhilHealth, as well as the open.gov.ph website.
“So, in the coming weeks po, lalabas po iyong mga transparency portal ng mga ibang ahensya. Matapos ang taon, magiging standard na iyan at normal,” said the country’s ICT chief.
Meanwhile, he also explained that a transparency portal is an AI-powered platform that clearly presents the government’s budget and spending in a simple, easy-to-understand format as government transactions can often be complex and challenging for the public to interpret.
Using artificial intelligence, the portal can quickly generate explanations and provide answers to inquiries, helping citizens better understand how public funds are managed.
Aguda said each portal basically has two primary features: a visual dashboard that would show a breakdown of the budget, displaying charts, graphs, and infographics where tbe screen would show the information.
It will also be mobile-friendly, with Aguda assuring that even with a basic smartphone, the portals could be accessed.
The DICT chief said the goal is to establish a wide “digital transparency system” that allows every Filipino to access clear updates on the government’s use of public funds.
With the portals, Aguda said the public will now be able to see where their taxes go clearly. As for the government, these portals are expected to help restore public trust, make irregularities more difficult—if not impossible—to commit, accelerate and standardize reporting across agencies, and strengthen efforts to curb corruption.
“Sa simpleng logic, mas maraming mata sa datos, mas mahirap magtago ng anomalya. Ang bawat Filipino at puwedeng maging watchdog ng gobyerno at diyan po sa ating transparency portal makakaasa kayong walang fake news,” Aguda furthered.
Meanwhile, Aguda said the DICT has also pioneered live-streamed bidding for its procurement processes, initially broadcasting these in real time on Facebook.
The agency has since moved the livestreams to YouTube for broader accessibility and improved archiving.
He added that several local government units (LGUs) have begun adopting the same practice, livestreaming their procurement activities on digital platforms to promote greater transparency.