Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President Agnes Devanadera urged local legislators to harness digitalization to modernize government operations and transform the way people experience public service.
Addressing around 2,100 councilors during the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) 2026 3rd Quarterly Continuing Local Legislative Education Program (CLLEP) on October 8 at the SMX Convention Center Clark, Devanadera emphasized that digitalization should empower sanggunians and local governments to provide faster, simpler, more predictable, and people-centered services.
“Digitalization, however, is not the objective. It should empower the Sanggunian. It should empower the local government. We are having technology because we want to improve our governance,” Devanadera said.
She even highlighted the assembly’s theme of “e-Legislature 2026: Empowering Sanggunians Through Digitalization, Smart Technology, and Innovative Local Policy.”
Drawing from her experience as a former local chief executive and national government official, Devanadera said councilors are no longer limited to passing ordinances and resolutions.
She stressed that legislators play a significant role in shaping the development of their respective communities.
She encouraged local councils to take a more active role in their respective development plans and in advancing policies that respond to the needs of their constituents.
Devanadera said that effective collaboration between the legislative and executive branches can accelerate local development.
She added that technology should be guided by three principles: simplification of government processes, predictability of government services, and keeping government human.
Paperless legislative sessions, digital records, automated tax computation, and streamlined permitting as examples of technology in governance, according to Devanadera.
These, she said, reduce waiting time, improve efficiency, and give government workers more opportunity to engage directly with the public.
“The human factor is something you cannot divorce from digitalization,” she said.
The Clark official also stressed that automation should not remove the personal dimension of public service.
Instead, it should allow government personnel to spend more time understanding and responding to people’s needs, Devanadera said.
She urged local legislators to make their municipalities and cities more business-friendly, pointing to efficient permitting and lower costs of doing business as key factors in attracting investments and strengthening local economies.
Devanadera cited Clark’s as an example of how a well-organized, investor-responsive environment can generate employment and economic activity.
Clark currently hosts more than 1,200 locators employing about 151,000 regular workers.
She said Clark’s digitalization efforts, such as the Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS), Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) – Incentives Monitoring System (FIRMS), and the Business Interdependence System (BIS) reflect the integration of digital tools in advancing ease of doing business and stimulating the economy.