Philippines to set up shared citizen and business database

The Philippine government is pulling citizen and company data into shared platforms to streamline e-services for the public.

"We are building these systems because we want to unburden our citizens from submitting documentary requirements that we, in government, already have in our records," said Gil Beltran, Undersecretary of the Department of Finance.

The project is a joint collaboration between the DOF and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to speed up applications for official documents such as permits and licenses, avoiding the need to submit multiple documents.

The business registry will gather data on businesses and NGOs across the country; while the citizen database will tap into the government's record of citizens’ personal information.

“These systems will allow individuals and corporate entities to easily track and validate their records”, he added.

The effort is in line with Philippines President Duterte’s address to cut down red tape in government processes, and is scheduled for launch by the end of 2016. Image from Undersecretary Gil Beltran's Facebook page