DILG completes anti-red tape survey in all Central Luzon LGUs

By Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu

Friday 13th of July 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, July 13 (PIA) -- The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has completed the Anti-Red Tape Act-Report Card Survey (ARTA-RCS) in all local government units (LGUs) in Central Luzon.

DILG regional director Florida Dijan said, “ARTA-RCS was conducted in all seven provincial, 13 city, and 117 municipal governments to determine their adherence to Republic Act No. 9485 otherwise known as Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 which requires state-run offices to draw up their Citizen’s Charters.”

Under the law, agencies rendering front line services shall be subjected to a Report Card Survey which shall be used to get feedback on how provisions in the Citizen’s Charter are being followed.

Surveyors interviewed 30 respondents that have availed of front line services of the office.

A systematic process is followed such that the respondents are interviewed over a three-day period wherein five clients interviewed in the morning and another five in the afternoon per day.

Dijan added, “The major output of the RCS is an actual report card that summarizes the performance of the agency in areas such as compliance with ARTA provisions namely having a Citizen’s Charter, Anti-Fixer Campaign, no hidden costs policy, public assistance and complaints desk, and no lunch break rule; front line service provider; service quality; physical working condition; and client satisfaction.”

ARTA-RCS rating of a LGU is one of the criteria in the conferment of the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) Silver and Gold Awards which will be implemented in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

DILG earlier launched the Bronze SGH bestowed to LGUs that have excelled in the areas of planning, budgeting, revenue mobilization, financial management and budget execution, procurement, and resource mobilization.

LGU recipients of the said merit must not have a “no adverse report” from the Commission on Audit, which means that they have complied with all the requirements of the government’s auditing agency.

SGH honorees automatically vie for the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) wherein chosen LGUs receive P1 million each from the national government which will be utilized for projects supportive in the attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals such as eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, reduce child mortality, and promote gender equality.

Apart from being a requirement for the PCF, the SGH is also a criterion in the selection of regional and national Gawad Pamana ng Lahi (GPL) winners.

The Gawad is given to LGUs for exemplary performance in administrative governance, social governance, economic governance, and environmental governance.

This yearly award is also an instrument to scale-up the valuing of accountability, transparency, and involvement to local administration and development. (WLB/CLJD-PIA3)