President Marcos has directed the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) to go down to the villages to explain the importance of the Ease of Doing Business Law.
ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez said they were ordered to conduct town hall meetings with the barangays and local government units (LGU) to emphasize their role in implementing law that aims to streamline government processes.
"We also gather directive from the Office of the President to conduct town hall meetings particularly with the barangay. Napakalawak po nito (This is very broad) but we are doing this one at a time. Maganda po kasi na maintindihan ng ating mga opisyales sa LGU particularly on the barangay (It is important that LGU officials, particularly on the barangays, understand this)," Perez said in a television interview.
On Thursday, March 14, ARTA commenced its series of town hall meetings in Tacloban City, Leyte.
Aside from informing government offices of the Ease of Doing Business Law and ARTA's mandate and compliances, the meeting also covered ARTA's ongoing activities, plans, and initiatives that will benefit the Filipino people through improved bureaucratic efficiency.
"If you are able really to engage with the barangay at maintindihan na nila iyong kahalagahan ng kanilang ginagawa lalo pong mapapabilis ang ating ekonomiya dito sa pagpalaganap ng negosyo dito sa Pilipinas dahil (and they understand the importance of their roles, it will speed up the improvement of our economy through encouraging more businesses here in the Philippines because) number one, of course they deal with the barangay – so, we start at the lowest form ng ating sector – the barangay level," Perez explained.
The agency is also set to hold a town hall meeting in San Fernando, Pampanga on March 18.
Meanwhile, Perez disclosed that there will be an important meeting with the President with ARTA, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on March 20 regarding the implementation of the e-LGU and eGov PH.
Among the agenda would be the Integrated Business Permitting and Licensing System, which was expanded by the DICT into an e-LGU to cover business permits and licensing system, payment of residence tax, and sanitary permits.
"[I]tong March 20, magkakaroon po ng malaking pagpupulong ang DILG, DICT at ARTA, kasama po ang ating mahal na pangulo para i-launch po ang programa for people to really understand and appreciate na maganda po ang programang ito. Hindi na po tawag natin electronic Business One-Stop Shop; in-expand po natin ito into an eGov PH (This March 20, there will be a big meeting with DILG, DICT, and ARTA, and the President to launch the program for people to really understand and appreciate that the program is good. It is no longer called electronic Business One-Stop Shop, it was already expanded into an eGov PH," Perez said.