On June 9 and June 22, 2021, the National Archives of the Philippines (NAP), in collaboration with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) rolled out the Electronic Records Management Policy (ERMP) in Luzon. These activities are part of the intensified rollout of ERMP policy in the Philippines. 

 

The newly crafted ERMP provides guidelines for the government sector in the shift from traditional paper records management to an electronic regime. This policy lays out the protocol for managing the creation, use, storage, disposition, and archiving of electronic records, with an established contingency plan in case of natural calamities and/or disasters. 

 

According to NAP’s Executive Director Victorino M. Manalo, the PCOO agreed to help NAP in the information dissemination of ERMP rollout activities to also strengthen the Freedom of Information (FOI) program. PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar and Undersecretary Kris Ablan delivered recorded messages for the events, both the PCOO executives agreed that the success of ERMP will bring relief in the field of records management because information plays a crucial role in any government.

 

All rollout activities were divided into two sessions and were held via ZOOM video conference platform. The first rollout activity in Luzon was conducted on June 9, 2021. The morning session had a total of 61 participants, while the afternoon session was attended by 81 participants. 

 

This was followed by another rollout activity on June 22, which gathered a total of 121 participants in the morning session, and 123 in the afternoon session. Participants in these rollout activities were representatives from the national government agencies, state colleges and universities, hospitals, and other private sectors. 

 

Executive Director Manalo delivered a welcome address for the ERMP rollout activity. In his message, he displayed confidence that ERMP will position the country as the potential leader in the field of records management. 

 

The NAP and PCOO will jointly conduct more ERMP rollout activities in other regions in the country in the future to embrace electronic governance and to utilize advances in technology.