Best LGU websites receive awards

Bulacan province, Naga City and the municipalities of Pateros and Trinidad received honors and plaques during the awarding ceremony of winners in the Best LGU Website Contest recently. The contest was organized by the National Computer Center with the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication.

Keynote speakers in the event were Sec. Virgilio L. Peña, chairman of CICT, Rep. Simeon L. Kintanar, chairman of the Committee on CICT, CICT Commissioner Angelo Timoteo de Rivera, and Dr. Rogelio V. Cuyno, president of AIJ C.

Secretary Peña and Commissioner de Rivera stressed the importance of having various agencies and sectors teaming up for the promotion of ICT for development, while Rep. Kintanar pointed out the need for good ICT packaging to attract more investors. Dr. Cuyno noted that now is a timely revolution for ICT advocacy.

The winners were evaluated based on the following criteria: (1) functionality (load time, browser-independence, link integrity, and ease of navigation); (2) content (usefulness and relevance, accuracy, balance and freshness of information); (3) presentation (visual appeal, appearance, layout); (4) originality; and (5) citizen-centric and e-Governance responsiveness (website provides a feedback mechanism, frontline public services and has a general usefulness to citizens).

The activity was part of NCC's flagship project "Jumpstarting Electronic Governance in Local Government Units." The project aims to encourage LGUs to establish and maintain an official site in the World Wide Web and facilitate improved delivery of online services to the public.