UPGRADE PHILIPPINES
NO HOLDS BARRED (024) July 24, 2009
By Ike Señeres
UPGRADE PHILIPPINES
I am very much inspired by the warm response of my readers to my offer of teaching local communities about computerizing the delivery of public services by way of low cost hardware and software. To those who are not technologically savvy, I would like to explain that in my offer, I was talking about using open source software like Linux, and free applications software that will be donated by some advanced local government units (LGU).
In reality, the computerization of public services delivery does not really require rocket science. Most of the LGUs could actually afford it, except for those at the low end, the fourth class and the third class municipalities. Most of the barangay units could not afford it however, and this is where low cost machines and freeware could be most useful.
Linux and all the other freeware have been around for a long time, but it was previously very difficult to maintain these systems, because these were not too user friendly. Over the years however, these freeware have evolved to a point wherein ordinary users could actually maintain these on their own. In addition to that, online tech support is now available.
Computerization is not the be all and end all of local public services delivery. Computers are simply just tools for people to use, so it is very important that the users of these tools are also equipped to use these tools, and that should start with the appreciation of what these tools could do. The fact is, there should actually be manual systems in place. If there are no manual systems, there is nothing to computerize.
Due to the response that I got from my offer to help, I am going to make sure that we could sustain this upgrade program as soon as we start it. Yes you read me right; this is really just a program to upgrade the quality of governance in the LGUs, down to the lowest level of the barangay. I think however that the key to the sustainability will be the people, the people who will use these systems, and the people who will maintain these.
Having identified people as the key, I will now talk to the organizations that will be helping us in this upgrade program, making sure that the time tested balance of resources in computerization will be in place, referring to the balance of manpower, infrastructure and content.
In the response that I got, it became even clearer to me that the priority of which function or service to focus on will really depend on the prime movers of the upgrade programs in each locality. Some of those who responded have identified the primary and secondary schools, while others have identified health centers and computer centers.
For those who are reading my column for the first time, I would like to say again that my offer was to teach local communities what it takes to upgrade their local public service delivery systems. The plan is for them to solicit old computers from local and foreign sources. I will start by teaching them how to re-format these old machines by installing new Linux operating systems. I will also help them look for free applications software.
The use of Linux is really nothing new. What is new is that new versions of Linux have come up, making it practically user friendly. As a matter of fact, Google will soon come up with a version that is still Linux, but will be tweaked to make it more seamless with the popular search engine.
The choice of connecting these upgraded machines to the Internet should also be the decision of the local prime movers. Nowadays however, it is not very difficult to connect any machine to the Internet, old or new. In my previous column, I suggested that local communities should interconnect their computers so that they could build their own Virtual Private Networks or VPNs.
Technically speaking, an Intranet is just one of the applications that could be run within a VPN. Over the years however, these two terms have become synonymous. In layman terms, an Intranet is in effect a private network within another network such as the Internet.
Looking at the long term, it would be good to plan for local Intranets that could eventually connect to the Internet in general, and to the Intranets of national government agencies in particular, for upgraded connectivity.
Watch my TV show “Bears & Bulls”, a daily coverage of the Philippine Stock Exchange. 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in Global News Network. Email iseneres@yahoo.com or text +639293605140 for local cable listings.
By Ike Señeres
UPGRADE PHILIPPINES
I am very much inspired by the warm response of my readers to my offer of teaching local communities about computerizing the delivery of public services by way of low cost hardware and software. To those who are not technologically savvy, I would like to explain that in my offer, I was talking about using open source software like Linux, and free applications software that will be donated by some advanced local government units (LGU).
In reality, the computerization of public services delivery does not really require rocket science. Most of the LGUs could actually afford it, except for those at the low end, the fourth class and the third class municipalities. Most of the barangay units could not afford it however, and this is where low cost machines and freeware could be most useful.
Linux and all the other freeware have been around for a long time, but it was previously very difficult to maintain these systems, because these were not too user friendly. Over the years however, these freeware have evolved to a point wherein ordinary users could actually maintain these on their own. In addition to that, online tech support is now available.
Computerization is not the be all and end all of local public services delivery. Computers are simply just tools for people to use, so it is very important that the users of these tools are also equipped to use these tools, and that should start with the appreciation of what these tools could do. The fact is, there should actually be manual systems in place. If there are no manual systems, there is nothing to computerize.
Due to the response that I got from my offer to help, I am going to make sure that we could sustain this upgrade program as soon as we start it. Yes you read me right; this is really just a program to upgrade the quality of governance in the LGUs, down to the lowest level of the barangay. I think however that the key to the sustainability will be the people, the people who will use these systems, and the people who will maintain these.
Having identified people as the key, I will now talk to the organizations that will be helping us in this upgrade program, making sure that the time tested balance of resources in computerization will be in place, referring to the balance of manpower, infrastructure and content.
In the response that I got, it became even clearer to me that the priority of which function or service to focus on will really depend on the prime movers of the upgrade programs in each locality. Some of those who responded have identified the primary and secondary schools, while others have identified health centers and computer centers.
For those who are reading my column for the first time, I would like to say again that my offer was to teach local communities what it takes to upgrade their local public service delivery systems. The plan is for them to solicit old computers from local and foreign sources. I will start by teaching them how to re-format these old machines by installing new Linux operating systems. I will also help them look for free applications software.
The use of Linux is really nothing new. What is new is that new versions of Linux have come up, making it practically user friendly. As a matter of fact, Google will soon come up with a version that is still Linux, but will be tweaked to make it more seamless with the popular search engine.
The choice of connecting these upgraded machines to the Internet should also be the decision of the local prime movers. Nowadays however, it is not very difficult to connect any machine to the Internet, old or new. In my previous column, I suggested that local communities should interconnect their computers so that they could build their own Virtual Private Networks or VPNs.
Technically speaking, an Intranet is just one of the applications that could be run within a VPN. Over the years however, these two terms have become synonymous. In layman terms, an Intranet is in effect a private network within another network such as the Internet.
Looking at the long term, it would be good to plan for local Intranets that could eventually connect to the Internet in general, and to the Intranets of national government agencies in particular, for upgraded connectivity.
Watch my TV show “Bears & Bulls”, a daily coverage of the Philippine Stock Exchange. 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in Global News Network. Email iseneres@yahoo.com or text +639293605140 for local cable listings.
posted by Ike Señeres at 10:45 PM
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