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DILG Stepping Up Implementation of Anti Red Tape Project

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The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will step up the implementation of its anti-red tape project this year and closely  monitor the compliance of local government units (LGUs) in formulating their respective “citizens’ charters” that would guide citizens on how to quickly avail of frontline government services at the community level.   

DILG Secretary Ronnie V. Puno said the Comprehensive and Unified Response to Eliminate Red Tape or CURE project will be among the initiatives that the Department will prioritize this year to enhance the delivery of basic services to the people, particularly at the level of LGUs. 

The CURE project, which is being carried out in tandem with other government agencies—among them the Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman—aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of LGUs in their delivery of basic public goods and services to the public through the elimination of red tape practices. 

Puno said the project, which is the Department’s response to the provisions stated under the Anti-Red Tape Law of 2007 or Republic Act 9485, also seeks to prevent graft and corruption at the local level. 

Puno said the DILG will focus this year on training anti-red tape “champions” who will help carry out the provisions of RA 9485 at the local level. 

“One of the key provisions of the Anti-Red Tape Law is the formulation of the Citizen’s Charter by the LGUs,” Puno said. “We will strictly monitor LGUs in terms of their compliance with this provision so that we can realize our goal of  unifying government action in the elimination of red tape down to the local level.”  

The Citizen’s Charter is a document that contains relevant information on the frontline services and goods provided by LGUs to its citizens and serves as the standard of the their delivery of these services and goods to the public.  

Through the Local Government Academy (LGA), the DILG assists LGUs in crafting the Citizens’ Charter, which should also  contain information on the maximum time and amount of fees needed to cover these basic frontline services, DILG Undersecretary for Local Government Austere Panadero said. 

Besides the CSC, Ombudman and LGA, Project Cure also involves the Local Research Institutes, Development Academy of the Philippines and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission, he added.

On top of crafting the Citizen’s Charter, Panadero said that Project CURE also intends to familiarize LGUs on the provisions of the anti-red tape law; improve the existing systems and procedures of delivering frontline services at the local level; and provide venues for the enforcement of the law through citizens’ feedbacks and development of   community-level alliances with anti-corruption watchdogs. 

Panadero said the DILG began conducting orientation workshops to inform city governments about the law’s provisions in the last quarter of 2008 and will continue with these activities down to the municipal and barangay level this year. 

In the latter part of 2009, Panadero said the DILG would firm up, in tandem with the CSC, Ombudsman and other stakeholders, the mechanisms on citizens’ feedback and the  law enforcement provisions of RA 9485. 

Earlier, Puno called on provincial governors, city and municipal mayors and barangay chairmen nationwide to strictly implement the Anti-Red Tape law. 

In a memorandum circular, Puno had reminded local chief executives and other local officials and employees of the mandatory requirement of the anti-red tape law for officials and employees to accept written applications, requests and documents being submitted by their clientele, which is the citizenry.

He explained that all applications or requests for frontline services should be acted upon within the period prescribed under the Citizens’ Charter, which in no case shall be no longer than five working days for simple transactions, and 10 working days for complex transactions. No application or request shall be returned to the client without appropriate action, as stated under RA 9485. 

In his circular,  Puno also cited other significant provisions of the law, such as: limiting  the number of signatories for a basic transaction to a maximum of five signatures; adopting appropriate working schedules to ensure that all clients are attended to and served during lunch breaks and after regular working hours; providing frontline services as early a 7 AM, and as late as 7 PM;  and establishing public assistance or complaints desks, hotline numbers, and one-stop-shops.

Puno said any complaint regarding violations of the Anti-Red Tape Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations may be received by the DILG field offices, and forwarded to the central office for endorsement to the Office of the Ombudsman.