MARAWI CITY—The Bangsamoro Government will soon use a secured digital platform for sharing documents, improving collaboration, communication, and work efficiency.

The Bangsamoro Information and Communications Technology Office (BICTO) introduced the 'Intranet Project' in a groundbreaking ceremony on March 1, inside the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) in Cotabato City, which will establish a private network within the organization, ensuring secure data exchange among authorized users.

It is a centralized hub for accessing vital information and network sharing, including budgeting and program/project status updates for all Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ministries, offices, and agencies.

Accordingly, unlike the public internet, it offers a secure environment for government transactions and private information.

This initiative also adheres to the national government’s plan to achieve inclusive growth for all Filipinos by strengthening intergovernmental connections, increasing transparency in governance, and ensuring bureaucratic efficiency through E-Governance.

Jonathan M. Mantikayan, executive director of the Bangsamoro Information and Communications Technology Office (BICTO), said the project will furnish Bangsamoro employees with a modern and streamlined platform for communication and collaboration.

“This is the first intranet project in BARMM, and Alhamdulillah [All praise is due to Allah], this is a positive sign, and we hope government officials will support us,” he added.

Member of Parliament Suharto Esmael, chairperson of the Committee on Science and Technology, encouraged Information Technology officers to support the project.

"So far we have not crafted a bill related to Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and maybe this time, with the technology enthusiast, let's collaborate on crafting policies to strengthen Bangsamoro’s ICT infrastructure,” Soharto said.

The digital infrastructure and E-governance initiatives align with the 2nd agenda of Chief Minister Ebrahim under his Enhanced 12-Point Priority Agenda of the BARMM, which aims to build the needed digitized government, enhanced data privacy and security, and enhanced e-governance framework across the region. (BIO/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur