Microsoft commits aid to digital transformation

FILE: Microsoft (Photo by Mike Mozart/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

ILOILO CITY — Microsoft will again extend technical assistance to Iloilo City in the digital transformation of its governance, health and education sectors.

Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez, Microsoft regional director for corporate, external and legal affairs in Southeast Asia, met with Mayor Jose Espinosa III Friday afternoon and discussed the possible assistance.

Tuminez is an Ilonggo, whose mother hails from Guimaras.

“She wants to help Iloilo City at no cost for us,” said Espinosa in an interview.

They will be coming up with applications that would make it easier for Ilonggo to access the services of the city government.

Espinosa said a team from the city government will be working with Microsoft to implement the digitization program.

Microsoft also helped the city government in coming up its Online Transaction Tracking System (CityServ Application) for the City Assessor’s Office. This allows clients to make simple transactions such as transfer, reclassification, rectification and discovery to monitor the status of their requests.

Meanwhile, Espinosa said the new initiative when implemented will boost status of the city, which last month was identified by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as potential digital city.

“We have been working on it,” he said.

Among the areas that needed to be addressed is the slow internet connection.

Tuminezis based in Singapore, which has the fastest internet speed in the world.

There is no timeline though when Iloilo City will become a digital city, the mayor added. (PNA)