They say “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but I’d argue that the real challenge lies in unlearning what we’ve always done so we can embrace something new.

Unlearning is crucial because it allows us to let go of outdated methods that no longer serve us, making space for more efficient and effective solutions. Only by unlearning can we truly adapt and innovate in a rapidly changing world.

The art and science of unlearning requires us to recognize that the things we did for decades — kilometric queues, endless and repetitive forms, the lack of clarity in government services — are systemic failures that we need to overhaul if we want a truly digital government.

Through my years of service in communication, government relations, and the academe, I learned that learning to unlearn the old is critical for us to move forward to something new.

And this idea is important when we tackle the Philippine digital dilemma, which refers to the challenge of digitally transforming government services in the face of outdated systems and bureaucratic inefficiencies.

While technology offers the potential to streamline processes and improve service delivery, the real struggle lies in overcoming deeply entrenched traditional practices and the resistance to change within both government structures and society at large.

If we continue to be held by a system stuck in the past, we will forever pay the true cost of inefficiency, which I explored in my book The Digital Dilemma: Why Government Services Must Evolve.

According to a report by the University of the Philippines, the average Filipino spends hours, sometimes entire days, standing in line to access basic services, resulting in an average worker losing a daily wage of P500 just to get an ID.

Multiply their experience by millions of Filipinos, and it’s clear that these inefficiencies are costing us far more than we realize.

But here’s the thing, the digital tools to solve these problems are already within reach. Digitalization in government services offers a way to cut through the red tape and make things easier for everyone.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has jump started this during the pandemic and has rippled through to today. However, the one-stop government portal has yet to unlock its true potential of cleaning up the bureaucratic mess of the past.

Digital transformation doesn’t just mean new tools. It means changing the entire system — making it more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric, leveraging technology to make government services ironically more human.

The key is not just implementing new technology but creating a culture of digital trust and literacy that permeates all levels of government. If we want to create a government that truly serves its people, we need to embrace a future where technology is used not just for convenience, but to build trust, efficiency, and transparency.

Public-private partnerships will also play a crucial role in this transformation, especially with the limited government funds for digital infrastructure investments.

President Marcos Jr. has called on the entire government to transform what was once a system bogged down by red tape into one that rolls out the red carpet for citizens.

But to get there, we need to let go of the past and embrace the digital future. We must unlearn the way we’ve always done things, and in doing so, learn how to do them better.

□ □ □ □ □

Reyner Aaron M. Villaseñor brings extensive senior leadership experience from diverse sectors, spanning technology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and finance.

He holds professorial roles at the Graduate School of the University of Perpetual Help System-DALTA and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.