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Previous
technological improvements from better transportation services to
more telephone lines and mass media have created a world much smaller
and integrated.
Today,
the information revolution is making the world even smaller and
more integrated with recent developments in Information and Communication
Technology (ICT).
Computing power and information exchange, in effect, have tremendously
increased.
The
incorporation of ICT in business has spawned what is known as e-commerce
allowing for more efficient business to business (B2B) and business
to customer (B2C) interaction.
In
the public sector, the mounting pressure for efficiency and transparency
has triggered the e-government or the adoption of ICT in government
operations.
E-government
involves an electronic interface for the delivery of public goods,
and services and in activities requiring participation (e.g., elections,
and public hearings).
PCARRD’s e-government initiatives
PCARRD has long recognized the role of ICT in transforming its products
and services to become more accessible and responsive to clients’
requirements.
“Our
efforts have been geared toward providing ICT-based services to
effect faster and efficient information dispatch.“ PCARRD
Executive Director Patricio S. Faylon said in a recent speech.
Indeed,
ICT is a major component of PCARRD’s efforts in technology
and information delivery. In fact, the Council’s program on
technology promotion, the
Techno Gabay Program (TGP) is in itself ICT-enabled. One of its
components, the Farmers’ Information and Technology Services
(FITS) uses ICT to deliver the technological and information needs
of its clients, which include farmers, entrepreneurs, agricultural
technicians and extension workers.
PCARRD
is further enhancing the ICT capability of its FITS centers at host
institutions across the country. Through the Knowledge Networking
Towards Enterprising Agricultural Communities (K-Agrinet) program,
eighty FITS centers will be interconnected and equipped with ICT
tools. This will promote more sharing of and access to information,
modern technologies and indigenous knowledge.
This
year, the Council launched the PCARRD short message service (SMS),
which relies on text messaging to provide faster and low-cost access
to agriculture, forestry and natural resources (AFNR) information
and technologies.
PCARRD
SMS complements the Council’s 11 existing commodity information
networks (CINs), which are online shops of information on priority
industries for farmers, entrepreneurs, and other industry players.
PCARRD
also uses ICT to streamline its internal operations. Its research
and development management information system (RDMIS) organizes
R&D information for easy retrieval, updating and reporting.
With
these e-government initiatives, PCARRD makes its interaction with
citizens (government to citizens or G2C), business enterprises (G2B),
other government units (G2G) and employees (G2E) more efficient,
friendly, convenient, and transparent. (Don Joseph M. Medrana, S&T
Media Service)
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