Citizen‑centric Perspective on the Adoption of E‑Government in the Philippines

Abstract

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet are widely used as strategic means to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of governments and the accessibility of government information and services to citizens. In the Philippines, the government has prepared elaborate plans to enhance implementation of e‑government in the country. Thus, it is only fitting to investigate the state of the adoption of e‑government in the country not only to monitor progress of its implementation but to further improve access of citizens to government information and services. However, due to the inherent disparities in socio‑demography, access to ICTs, Internet use as well as in the patterns of Internet use, and awareness of available e‑government services in developing countries such as the Philippines, the adoption of e‑government by citizens in the country is faced with major challenges (e.g., inequitable access to information and government services, widening of the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged groups). In order to uncover the state of adoption and citizens’ perception of e‑government in the Philippines, this study analyzed primary data collected through a national‑scale survey conducted as a result of collaboration with a private social research institution based in the Philippines. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to describe the state of adoption of e‑government in the Philippines and examine the effects of socio‑demographic factors; access to ICTs and the Internet; and attitudes toward e‑government on the awareness and adoption of e‑government in the country. The study further validates the findings of other empirical studies on e‑government adoption found in literature.