Barangays in Valenzuela City are set to follow the flow of modern technology as they are mandated to have digitalized transaction.

 

In order for this project to materialize, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), in coordination with the City Government of Valenzuela, conducted a workshop for Google Cloud computing held last April 11, Thursday, at the Social Hall.  Representatives from all the 33 barangays attended the seminar armed with their personal laptops to test the application of the operation system.

 

Google Cloud is an online platform consisting of network sharing and actual processing of data within the integrated connections of computers through internet. Aside from this, data can also be stored. And once information is uploaded within the system, everyone can access them online.

 

The framework allows barangays to upload and view files, thereby decreasing the usage of records on papers.  This is the first step towards having a paperless office. Some documents, when allowed by the user, can also be viewed and accessed by the public, like the financial statements. “The project aims to promote transparency,” Local Government Operations Officer Alice Evangelista said.

 

Most importantly, each barangay will have their enhanced Barangay Governance Performance Management System (BGPMS) to be uploaded digitally rather than the manually filled in previous version.

 

BGPMS is a tool used by DILG for assessing barangay performance in terms of service delivery and compliance to the provisions of the 1991 Local Government Code and other related issuances.  Because of this measure, the ranking of performance for each barangay will be evaluated to check what aspects to be retained and what should be removed in order to continue development.

 

Under BGPMS, barangays are expected to come up with their State of Barangay Governance Report or SGBR which content serves as basis for the city and municipal governments, and by the DILG in coming up with the necessary package of interventions and assistance.

 

According to Evangelista the upgrade “is a good start to utilize the advantages of technology. It also helps for a more convenient filing of the forms we needed straight from them,”

 

So far, during the three-year term of State of Local Report Governance (the bigger version of SGBR), Valenzuela has been consistent in maintaining good performance in governance.  DILG City Director Daisy Eslaban noted that “the city is very aggressive with development. We can see that there’s continuous progress. I hope that in the years to come, Valenzuela will try to outdo whatever it has already achieved.”