Barangays in Iloilo City are preparing for the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act, as mandated by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA). Velma Jane Lao, head of the Iloilo City Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP) Office, stated that a new memorandum requires the implementation of this act not only by the city government but also at the barangay level.
“This time, it is expanded in barangay LGUs (local government units). The purpose of this is to promote transparency and accountability in barangays,” Lao explained in an interview on Tuesday.
A three-day training program for the city’s 180 barangays commenced on Monday, facilitated by personnel from ARTA. The training focused on developing each barangay’s Citizen’s Charter, which outlines the services available and includes the 3-7-20 processing day rule: three days for simple transactions, seven days for complex transactions, and 20 days for technical transactions, all calculated as calendar days and fees.
Participants were also instructed on zero-backlog reporting, which indicates that there are no pending tasks, and the Client Satisfaction Measure to assess client satisfaction with the services provided. “These are the reports being compiled by the city government every year. We have to abide by that because that is our service standard or commitment to the public availing of our services,” Lao noted.
While there is no specific deadline for implementation, Lao expressed hope that the 180 barangays would begin developing their Citizen’s Charters soon. She also emphasized the importance of establishing a standard number of days and time for processing desired services across all barangays.
Lao concluded that the compliance of barangays with the Ease of Doing Business Act will further enhance the overall compliance of the Iloilo City government, ultimately benefiting the public through improved service delivery.