Web Presence of One Province in the Philippines

Information and communications technology (ICT) has played a significant role in the various sectors of society, particularly in public administration and governance. This descriptive-evaluative study aimed to evaluate the websites of the local government units (LGUs) in the Province of Sorsogon, Philippines per Department of Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular (DILG MC) No. 2009-19. It also aimed to identify the challenges encountered by the LGUs in establishing a web presence. A checklist of the standards and interview guide were utilized as instruments. The Planning and Development Coordinators of the LGUs and the IT Focal Persons were involved as key informants. The study revealed that eight LGUs in Sorsogon have websites. These include Sorsogon City, Barcelona, Castilla, Irosin, Magallanes, Pilar, Sta. Magdalena and the Provincial Government Unit of Sorsogon. The websites of these LGUs were compliant to stage one of the United Nations – American Society for Public Administration (UN-ASPA) five stages of e-government per DILG MC No. 2009-119. The study also revealed that there were several challenges encountered in establishing the web presence of some LGUs. With these, the officials, particularly of those LGUs without websites may exert more efforts to establish web presence in order to provide the public with more information and greater access to government services. The LGUs may strive harder to improve from stage one to higher stages of e-government, especially in times of pandemic when physical movements are restricted in order not to hamper the delivery and access to services.