Crowdsourcing

Senate Bill No. 646: Crowdsourcing Act

The Philippines is one of the most active nations on Facebook with 30 million Filipinos registered to the popular social media website. On the Internet, Filipinos are able to share personal stories, talents, products, appeals for donations, and grievances. And in the May 2016 elections, ideas on politics, governance and legislation flooded our social media feeds.

The Internet has proven time and again, through elections, natural disasters, public scandals, and the like, that it has the power to unite public efforts. The Internet has a power that we harness during times of need and that we ought to maximize for the betterment of our country.

This bill seeks the creation of an online platform for ordinary citizens to create petitions for both Houses of Congress to review, amend, repeal or create a law. This platform shall be launched and maintained by the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office and it shall serve as a direct communication channel between the legislative branch of government and the general public. Petitions launched on the website should need to have been electronically signed by at least 300,000 before the proposed measure will be forwarder to the relevant committees in both Congress and the Senate.

In our nation, we strive to achieve full participation in the democratic process. With the advent of widespread Internet access, it has never been easier to improve and democratize our legislative process than it is now, utilizing a fast, efficient, and transparent technology to hear the voice of ordinary citizens.

In view of the foregoing, the passing of this bill is earnestly sought.


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Sen. Bam Aquino’s Statement of Support for the Crowdsourcing Bill

We warmly welcome the introduction of Senate Bill No. 73, otherwise known as the Philippine Crowdsourcing Act of 2013, introduced by our colleague Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III.

We recognize that rapid shifts in information and communications technology have opened up new ways of communicating and processing information, and that the cost-effectiveness of ICT tools has made it easier and more accessible for the country’s citizens to participate in ICT-enabled activities. Mass media, for instance, have forever been transformed by the fact that its audiences are now part of both the medium itself and the message. Citizen journalism has revolutionized the way ordinary people engage with media channels and with the news itself.

In the same way that the mass media have opened themselves up to the citizenry, so must Government, being the voice and the representative of the people. In a democratic state such as ours, we must ensure that any and all means of enabling people’s participation are used to further transparency, accountability, and good governance.Crowdsourcing ensures that the wisdom of the people is tapped in policy-making; it also helps develop co-ownership of national policy and strengthens a more collaborative form of nation-building.

Sa pamamagitan po ng crowdsourcing, maaari nang makibahagi ang mga ordinaryong Pilipino sa paggawa ng mga batas, sa pamamagitan ng Internet, mobile phones, at iba pang mga panibagong paraan. Sabik po tayo na makita at marinig ang tunay na boses ng taumbayan sa bagong pamamaraang ito, at handa tayong suportahan si Sen. TG Guingona sa pagpasa ng panukalang ito.



Photo source: http://theguingonaproject.com

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