THE PHILIPPINE Congress launched on Thursday a unified website that contains all information related to the House of Representatives and the Senate for easier access to all legislative matters and improve transparency.
At the launching ceremony, House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose M. Dalipe said the portal — www.econgress.gov.ph — could be considered the “most potent” tool against fake news “as we endeavor to fight the many misconceptions about the members of Congress.”
Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri told reporters that the eCongress site makes public “the speeches of our colleagues, the debates that were discussed, the amendments that were proposed, who were the authors, who voted against, who voted in favor. It’s all there.”
“We have to be dynamic, forward looking, and forward moving. That is the only way we can generally be responsive to our people’s needs.” Mr. Zubiri said in his speech.
The eCongress portal also provides easier access to bills, resolutions, legislative reports, schedules, and lawmakers’ information, among others.
House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who stood in for Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, said, “an effective communication amplifies the capacity of government organizations, ensure greater transparency, and deters corruption.”
The House on Monday approved on 3rd reading a bill seeking to facilitate the executive branch’s transition to digital modes of delivering services and information. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz