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9th ASEAN CXO Leadership Forum

Jul 09, 2026 2,321

SINGAPORE — DICT Usec. David Almirol Jr. delivered his keynote speech at the 9th ASEAN CXO Leadership Forum held at Hilton Singapore Orchard.

The event provided an opportunity to showcase the national government’s digitalization efforts, with support from the Philippines Chief Information Officer Association, a local group of vetted industry leaders in the country.

DICT Undersecretary for E-Government David Almirol Jr. He is the lead official driving the Marcos administration’s digitalization push. Before government, he was founder and former CEO of Multisys Technologies Corp.

Usec Almirol Emphasize the One-Stop Government Services - eGovPH Super App

The goal: put national + local gov’t services in one app. “As easy as using Facebook”

- 150+ million transactions processed

- 13+ million users

- 51 million downloads as of latest update

- Services: driver’s license, PRC, e-banking, digital ID, health, travel, public safety.

Almirol called out inefficiencies: “We’ve spent billions on outdated, unsustainable systems. It’s time to fix the foundation”

Key problems he cited: 1,900 government websites + citizens submitting the same info repeatedly even with national ID

Solution: “simplification, standardization, and integration, not duplication”. If one agency has your verified data, you shouldn’t submit again. 1fdd

DICT has launched 25 digital platforms, 21 are live including:

eGovDX - e-Government Data Exchange Platform. Links 1,000+ government services, 500+ million transactions. Won “Digital Transformation of the Year” in Singapore

- eGov Blockchain* for data security and transparency

- eGovCloud - centralized cloud for agencies, cut costs by 60%

- *eGovAI, eGovPay, eReport, eSignature, eTravel* and more.

PH jumped from “High” to “Very High” in UN E-Government Development Index, up 15+ places

- Philippines was 1 of only 12 countries recognized by UN for digital gov’t progress 2022-2024

- eGovPH won “E-Governance Project of the Year” at GovMedia Awards 2025 in Singapore.

“People need to feel that government is working for them. That means faster service, zero lines, and more transparency”. Digitalization is “a powerful weapon against inefficiency, corruption, and red tape”.

DICT is now upgrading servers and cloud capacity for eGovPH after outages due to heavy traffic. Almirol said agencies should better manage their own systems to reduce bottlenecks.

Almirol is spearheading the shift from paper, long lines, and separate agency systems → to integrated, mobile-first government services under the *eGovPH* brand. | Randulf Rana

🎥Mel Migriño

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