A digital shift inside the Cebu Provincial Capitol is moving government processing from paper trails to live tracking, as officials roll out a dashboard system aimed at cutting delays in public service delivery.
The Cebu Provincial Government under Governor Pamela Baricuatro has introduced a centralized monitoring platform that tracks requests in real time, allowing offices to identify bottlenecks and speed up the release of assistance.
Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces said the system is designed as a broader governance reform and not limited to a single program.
“Actually, ’di ra siya limited to AICS but all services program naghimo nami’g dashboard,” Empaces said.
One of the priority programs integrated into the system is the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), which covers medical and burial assistance and has historically recorded high volumes of applicants.
Empaces said processing in the past often took weeks due to system gaps and lack of coordination among offices.
“So ang AICS is one of the most common… based sa set up before modugay gud siya… maabot gud og one to six weeks,” he said.
With the new dashboard in place, processing time has become more structured, with requests now averaging around 20 days once all requirements are completed.
“Based on the dashboard… moabot siya’g twenty days… as long as lang na all departments are in place,” Empaces added.
The system also introduces an automated alert feature that flags delayed transactions once they go beyond a set timeframe.
“Kung naa’y request… nilapas na siya og four days… mo red flag nana siya,” he said.
Each participating office has designated personnel responsible for specific stages of processing, a setup intended to remove gaps in accountability that previously slowed down approvals.
Empaces said some cases in the past stretched to as long as three months due to unclear assignments within offices.
“Nakit-an usahay maabot jud shag mga three months… kay wala man gyuy focus, walay assign person per offices,” he said.
To prevent delays before applications even reach the Capitol, the provincial government has also conducted training sessions for barangay officials on documentation requirements.
“So kung moari mo diri… deretso-deretso nalang gud ang process,” he said.
The dashboard is also set for expansion to cover infrastructure projects, other provincial services, and eventually digital payment systems for taxes and fees.
Officials said the platform will also be used to assess office performance, with efficiency potentially tied to future incentives.
Empaces emphasized, however, that all transactions remain subject to audit and government accounting rules.
“Dili ka basta-basta mohatag og assistance… we’re bounded by COA rules,” he said.
The province has allocated P250 million for AICS this year, and officials said the system is expected to improve fund utilization by ensuring faster and more transparent release of assistance.
The rollout is being done in phases, with the Capitol aiming to institutionalize the system so it remains in place regardless of changes in leadership. (SBA)
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
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