MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday hailed the signing of the Philippine Civil Service Digital Leadership Program agreement, calling it a vital step in transforming the country’s bureaucracy into a digitally empowered and efficient workforce.
The initiative, part of the Marcos administration’s push for good governance through technology, is designed to equip civil servants with modern skills in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028.
“This collaboration brings us closer to achieving our shared goal of creating a modernized public sector workforce,” the President said during the launch ceremony.
“It’s an opportunity to rethink, innovate, and serve the public better through technology—an essential asset in this digital age.”
Training Thousands of Civil Servants
An initial batch of 30 public servants, including personnel from the Civil Service Commission (CSC), have already completed pilot training in Singapore. The program focused on:
Digital leadership
Citizen-centric design
Data-driven decision-making
Looking forward, Marcos announced that Phase 2, scheduled through 2027, will train at least 10,000 government workers to become champions of digital transformation within their respective agencies.
“These public servants, with their renewed skills and vision, will be key players in reforming and digitizing our bureaucracy from within,” he said.
International, Private Sector Support
President Marcos also recognized the efforts of the program’s institutional and private sector partners, including:
The Civil Service Commission (CSC)
The National University of Singapore’s Institute of Systems Science
The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) through the Jobs and Skills Corporation
He also thanked leading supporters from the private sector: the Temasek Foundation, SM Group, and Ayala Group, for their commitment to enabling a future-ready civil service.
“We are grateful to our visionary partners for their invaluable commitment to advancing public sector transformation,” Marcos said.
The Digital Leadership Program aligns with the government’s efforts to enhance digital resilience and upskill public sector employees, positioning the bureaucracy to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital age.