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DICT Secretary Henry Aguda shared his insights on the future of digital governance and inclusive innovation during a fireside chat at the GCash iGnite Innovation Summit 2025, highlighting the government's commitment to building a digitally empowered Philippines

The Philippine government is ramping up efforts to digitize public services, with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announcing major upgrades to key platforms such as the eGov PH Super App, the eMarketplace, and National ID integration. These improvements aim to make government transactions faster, more secure, and more accessible to Filipinos nationwide, whether for verifying identity, requesting documents, or making safe digital payments.

The initiative was laid out during a breakout session for regulators at the iGnite Innovation Summit: Future4ward, organized by GCash, the country’s leading finance app. Now in its fourth year, the summit was held at SMX Convention Center in SM Aura Premier and has brought together over thousands of attendees ranging from global tech leaders, innovators, policymakers, and young professionals, to explore the next wave of digital and financial innovation.

During the session, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda emphasized that the real opportunity lies not just in building connectivity, but in improving the way the government serves its people. He pointed to the need for a digital ecosystem built on reliable infrastructure, user-friendly platforms, and inclusive collaboration between the public and private sectors, which are all aimed at making essential services faster, more accessible, and more responsive for every Filipino.

“Our President issued an executive order: ‘all government services now, connect it to the eGov app.’ So I’m encouraging everybody to download the eGov app and the National ID,”

he explained.

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda outlined the government’s key priorities for the country’s digital transformation agenda. The National ID is now integrated in the GCash app, which is playing a growing role in supporting the government’s digital transformation roadmap by helping make digital identity verification more secure and inclusive, enabling faster and more convenient onboarding not just for financial services, but also for government transactions through the eGov PH Super App. The app has also become a key channel for streamlining payments related to public services such as permits, licenses, and clearances, helping reduce red tape and improve access to essential government processes for millions of users nationwide.

Alongside this, the DICT is also enhancing government procurement through the eMarketplace, an online platform designed to minimize red tape and make purchasing more transparent. The department has even begun livestreaming its own internal procurement processes on Facebook as a model of accountability that could be scaled across agencies.

These efforts are backed by a larger digital infrastructure program that includes a national fiber spine installed along the country’s power grid, and the goal of connecting the remaining 20% of public schools to the internet by the end of 2025.

“We already have the spine—from North to South, East to West—but digital transformation won’t happen if we don’t connect the last mile. That’s why we’re working with everyone—LGUs, telcos, the private sector—because no Filipino should be too far, and no community too small,”

he concluded.

Meanwhile, during the discussion, Aguda also highlighted the DICT’s broader vision to create 8 million tech-enabled jobs through emerging fields such as cybersecurity, AI, digital freelancing, and data centers. To prepare the workforce, the department is launching global upskilling programs and a $26 million partnership with South Korea to build a national cybersecurity center.

Through alliances with tech companies like GCash which is helping expand access to financial tools and digital identity services, the government’s digital reforms are beginning to deliver meaningful impact, where more Filipinos are included in the digital shift, as the country moves closer to a future where every day public services are simpler, more transparent, and truly within reach for all.

About Mynt

Mynt is the first and only $5 billion unicorn in the Philippines. It's a leader in mobile financial services focused on accelerating financial inclusion through mobile money, financial services, and technology.  Mynt operates two fintech companies: GXI, the mobile wallet operator of GCash — the #1 Finance App in the Philippines, and Fuse Lending, a tech-based lending company that gives Filipinos access to microloans and business loans.

About GCash

GCash is the Philippines’ #1 Finance App and Largest Cashless Ecosystem. Through the GCash App, users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills via partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 6 million partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash’s mobile wallet operations are handled by G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt, the first and only duacorn in the Philippines.

Mynt and GCash are staunch supporters of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly UN SDGs 5,8,10, and 13, which focus on safety & security, financial inclusion, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, respectively.

For more information, please contact:

Bruce Rodriguez, Head of Business Communications

Corporate Communications

gcashcorpcomm@gcash.com

Legal Disclaimer & Safe Harbor Statement

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute, or form part of, any offer, solicitation, or invitation to sell, issue, purchase, or subscribe for any securities in the Philippines, the United States, or any other jurisdiction. No securities of Mynt, Inc. have been or will be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. There will be no public offering of the securities of the Company in the United States. No money, securities or other consideration is being solicited by this document or the information contained herein and, if sent in response to this document or the information contained herein, will not be accepted. Any potential initial public offering and listing in the Philippines, if pursued, remain fully subject to prevailing market conditions and regulatory approvals, including the registration requirements of the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission and the listing rules of the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc., and there can be no assurance that any such filings will be made or that any offering or listing will be consummated. This document contains forward-looking statements that involve inherent risks and uncertainties; actual results, timelines, and outcomes may differ materially from those projected due to shifting market dynamics, economic environments, and regulatory updates.

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