DICT cites lack of funding for cloud server space in several government platform shutdown
The Department of Information and Communications Technology said at least 12 government digital systems were taken offline due to insufficient funds for a cloud server.
During the Senate session on Wednesday, April 29, Sen. Bam Aquino asked the DICT if the National ID could be utilized in generating the list of beneficiaries together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development. However, DICT Usec. Dave Almirol Jr. said that while they had successfully done systems integration in the past, they had to scrap it in January since there was no budget to sustain it.
"What happened po kasi itong National ID natin...around 40 million pa 'yung backlogs (for physical distribution), kaya po ni-launch natin 'yung digital National ID gamit ang eGov Super App," he said, adding that the verification feature has been used by digital banks, e-wallets, and government agencies, which surged the usage.
Almirol said the digital National ID was initially launched as a limited initiative without sufficient resources, but its integration with e-wallets and government agencies overwhelmed the system. He added that the DICT, which manages 28 platforms, had to disable 12 government systems due to the lack of budget for cloud server capacity.
"Ang DICT eGov cloud, hindi lang po cloud namin ang sinusubscribe namin. Nasa 3,000 servers ang naka-host sa aming cloud services; 95% of that, hindi po sa amin," he explained. "Parang kami po ang nagbabayad ng subscription ng ibang government agencies."
He added that under last year’s General Appropriations Act, around P500 million was allocated for a separate digital National ID system. However, the Department of Budget and Management did not release the funds because at that time, the agency failed to meet its budget utilization rate.
"Hindi po nai-release sa amin dahil one of the reasons that time is hindi na-hit 'yung BUR ng DICT," Almirol explained.
The eGov Super App, a project by the DICT, was first launched in June 2023 to centralize key government services in one platform.
It allows users to book NBI and police clearances, request National ID and civil registry documents, and report incidents via eReport.
Users can also build résumés and search jobs via PhilJobNet, access OFW services (including PhilHealth, OWWA, and PAG-IBIG), store digital IDs like the National ID, ePRC, and PhilHealth, and complete required travel, health, and baggage declarations through the app or its eTravel feature.
