The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has commended the Parañaque City Council for implementing the automatic approval prescribed in the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Act which automatically approves applications and requests with complete requirements.
"We commend the Parañaque City Council's effort through the leadership of Vice Mayor Rico Golez for its compliance with the provisions of RA 11032 on automatic approval," ARTA Director-General Jeremiah Belgica said.
Republic Act (RA) No. 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business Act, was signed by President Duterte in May 2018.
According to Belgica, this move of the Parañaque City Council will help eliminate corruption in government.
"This will increase trust and confidence in the City Council that no applications will be unduly parked or unacted upon," he said.
"This will help avoid corruption and shall force local councils to act with dispatch on projects that could serve their constituents," he added.
The Parañaque City Council is now practicing the automatic approval provision of the law following the request of a constituent to apply for automatic approval on her application for a Letter of No Objection since it already qualifies for it under Section 10 of RA 11032.
Section 10 of RA 11032 states that applications and requests submitted with complete requirements and full payment but not processed within the prescribed processing time shall be automatically approved and renewed under the law.
The law, under Section 9, further states that if the application or request for a license, clearance, permit, certification, or authorization requires the approval of the local Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, or Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the Sanggunian concerned must act on it within 45 days.
Meanwhile, Belgica recognized outgoing Mayor Edwin Olivarez's efforts in promoting ease of doing business and hopes the city's incoming administration will carry it on.
He likewise urged other local government units (LGUs) and even national agencies to follow Parañaque City as an example in its compliance with the Ease of Doing Business law.
"Parañaque is one of the Partner Cities of ARTA in promoting EODB. They are also a great model for their business permitting system," Belgica said.