Microsoft Philippines solidifies its partnership with the Bureau of Customs. From L-R: Ryan Manalastas, Microsoft Philippines Solutions Specialist for Productivity; Christian Lim, Microsoft Philippines Office Marketing Group Business Group Lead; Ferdie Saputil, Microsoft Philippines Public Sector Director; Alberto Lina, Bureau of Customs Commissioner; Pia de Jesus, Microsoft Philippines Communications Lead; Joanna Rodriguez, Microsoft Philippines Public Sector Account Executive; Dennis Reyes, Bureau of Customs Deputy Commissioner
The recent propagation of cybercriminal activities against government agencies has drastically affected public trust aside from adding to their already crucial workload with internal damage none of these agencies can fully measure.
Amid these issues hampering the reliability and work efficiency of public sectors, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced spearheading the initiative of immediate ICT adoption within government organizations by partnering with Microsoft Philippines.
“We see with the recent, seemingly harmless attacks on the websites of government agencies that cybersecurity is no longer an option,” said BOC Commissioner Alberto D. Lina “The new norm is to be attacked and until you understand that technology is your only real solution against it, these cybercriminals will succeed.”
According to Lina, their partnership with Microsoft is solely focused on achieving three core factors critical in achieving the complete and seamless delivery of services by the BOC: Productivity in customs administration, Security of data, and Transparency.
“We are committed to annihilate alleged controversies and corruption within our agency, and we believe we can empower everyone within the organization to be the best service to our constituents through technology and mobility. By adopting world-class technology, we will improve our efficiency in public service while strengthening the integrity and security of the data and information of the public,” said Lina.
Agreeing with him, Microsoft Philippines General Manager Karrie Ilagan maintains that only the best IT solutions can help quell the insatiable public demand for reliable and efficient delivery of service from government agencies.
“As we continue with our mission of empowering organizations to do more in a vast network plagued with constant security threats, Microsoft is the government’s most trusted partner in delivering the best solutions for even the most complex challenges,” she said.
To hasten the modernization of BOC’s systems and digitization of their services, a two-pronged answer has been presented by Microsoft: Infrastructure re-engineering through end-to-end ICT solutions and integrating cybersecurity in their foundations.
Lina believes now as the Philippines runs toward a new era of national change, all government organizations must adopt modern solutions to be able to serve the public better.
“Our drive to adopt these technologies helps us to protect what is truly important: our constituents—re-building trust and public confidence. We hope that through our initiative to innovate, we inspire all other government agencies to embrace the future of governance through technology.”