E-governance in agriculture: digital tools enabling Filipino farmers

ABSTRACT

E-government is government’s use of information and communications technology (ICT) and the Internet to achieve improved service delivery and enable closer linkage between the public sector and the society. Recently, more technologically advanced countries have already embarked on ‘Government 3.0’ to create a more service-oriented, competent and transparent government, and further enrich the quality of life of citizens. However, pervasive problems of lack of physical access and inability to use these innovations – also known as the ‘digital divide’ – are still apparent particularly in rural poor areas and developing countries. These diminish opportunities for citizens to reap benefits of the Information Age and require collaborative efforts by government to make ICT services accessible and useful so that no one is left behind.

This case study describes how the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture (DA) implemented e-government to help achieve its mandate of promoting agricultural development, improving farmers’ livelihood and encouraging active stakeholder participation. Research have shown mostly failures of e-government initiatives due to tight funding, lack of physical infrastructure, deficiencies in human resource and incompatibility of programmes to realities on the ground. Applying Information and Communications Technology-for-Development (ICT4D) framework, this article presents the conditions in which the use of innovative technologies in agriculture aids the delivery of services despite characteristic public sector limitations. It argues that although challenged and seemingly improbable, ‘digital tools’ enable farmers to improve their management and decision-making abilities. It also considers the changes in stakeholders’ interaction through formal channels of communication and informal conduits via ubiquitous mobile technology and social media platforms. This study promises to add to knowledge about how government could develop useful e-government policies in agriculture and how these translate to improvements in the agricultural sector.

KEYWORDS:

• E-government
• agriculture
• ICT4D
• Philippines

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The Department of Information and Communications technology was established only in May 2016 through Republic Act No. 10,844, otherwise known as the ‘Department of Information and Communications Technology Act of 2015’. This act mandates the DICT to be be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, and administrative entity of the Executive Branch of the government that will plan, develop, and promote the national ICT development agenda. (DICT).

2. Arceo (2018, June 6). Personal interview.

3. Angara was Secretary of Agriculture from 1999–2001.

4. Yap was Secretary of Agriculture in the years 2004–2005 and 2006–2010.

5. Arceo (2018, June 6). Personal interview.

6. Ibid.

7. Remorozo (2018, May 31). Personal interview.

8. Arceo (2018, June 6). Personal interview.

9. Remorozo (2018, May 31). Personal interview.

10. Arceo (2018, June 6). Personal interview.

11. Cayanan (2018, June 1). Personal interview.

12. Tepora (2018, June 3). Phone interview.

13. Remorozo (2018, May 31). Personal interview.

14. The RCM utilizes the FCC to broadcast messages and send SMS reminders to farmers.

15. Chivenge (2018, May 29). Personal interview.

16. Arceo (2018, June 6). Personal interview.

17. Tepora (2018, June 3). Phone interview.

18. Silan (2018, May 26). Personal interview.

19. This is an estimate by the ATI ISD based on total training cost estimate of PhP 1,226 or US$ 23 per trainee for a 5-day face-to-face training module.

20. Text and call refer to calls and messages through mobile and landline numbers of the ATI; Mailbox/ Shout box and Forum refer to the general queries received at the e-learning portal; Instant messaging refers to messages received through ATI’s Facebook Account/Messenger.

21. Cuaterno, Maminta, Rivera, and Tabil (2018, June 5). Personal interview.

22. Chivenge (2018, May 29). Personal interview.

23. Remorozo (2018, May 31). Personal interview.

24. Arceo (2018, June 6). Personal interview.

25. Ibid.

26. Chivenge (2018, May 29). Personal interview.

27. The barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines.

28. Financial support from AFMA ended in the year 2013.

29. Text and call refer to calls and messages through mobile and landline numbers of the ATI; Mailbox/ Shout box and Forum refer to the general queries received at the e-learning portal; instant messaging refers to messages received through ATI’s Facebook Account/Messenger.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gerald Glenn F Panganiban

Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban is a Licensed agriculturist with extensive experience in plant health regulations especially those under the UN FAO's International Plant Protection Convention. Also he has advanced training on the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures and risk management. He has established network with cadre of academics, private sector and government leaders. Background in agribusiness management developed an innovative perspective and relentless drive toward the pursuit for sustainable agriculture development. His research interests are on Good Governance, E-government, Globalization, Regional Development, Performance Management, Local governance, and Collaborative Networks. He is a loving husband to wife Jiyoun and father to Yeohana and Haneul who inspire him to continuously hope for and strive to help lead a good government.