Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara believes that the Tatak Pinoy Act can help address the bureaucratic red tape that continues to be a hindrance to the entry of additional investments to the country.

According to Angara, this bureaucratic red tape has long been the gripe of foreign investors who have either done business before or are about to do business in the Philippines

The senator mentioned that Germany’s Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Pfaffernoschke himself recently cited red tape as the biggest hindrance to the expansion of foreign businesses' investments in the Philippines.

The ambassador cited the number of permits needed, the time it takes to get a permit, and corruption that takes place in some cases that investors often complain about.

“Over the years we have seen improvements in dealing with the issue of red tape, including the enactment of the Republic Acts (RA) 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) and 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Act, both of which aim to speed up transactions with government. These are good laws but clearly, a lot more has to be done,” said Angara who is an author of both laws.

ARTA instituted the no-noon break policy, no fixing activities, easy-to-read IDs or nameplates, presence of public assistance and complaints desks, and the implementation of the agency's Citizen's Charter which contains the types of frontline services offered with the step-by-step procedure, the person responsible for each step, time needed to transact, documents required, and fees.

The EODB Act, on the other hand, puts in place the "3-7-20" rule, which requires government offices to complete simple transactions within three days, complex ones within seven days, and highly technical ones within 20 days.

With the recent enactment of RA No. 11981 or the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act, Angara, as the law’s principal author and sponsor, aired his optimism that the the concerns of investors will be addressed and “We can see the entry of more key investments that will help spur economic development and bring more opportunities for our people."

Under Section 15 of the Tatak Pinoy Act, green lanes for Tatak Pinoy investments will be established in order to expedite and streamline the processes and requirements for the issuance of permits, licenses, certifications, or authorizations.

An export green lane facility will also be established for qualified exporters for advanced processing and clearances of their export requirements, including the importation of critical raw materials and capital equipment under the Bureau of Customs, Food and Drug Administration, and other regulatory authorities.

“This provision of the Tatak Pinoy Act institutionalizes Executive Order No. 18 issued by President Marcos last year for the establishment of green lanes for strategic investments. The common goal is to welcome more investments into the country and not to discourage them with the tedious processes and requirements that greet them in the bureaucracy,” Angara said.

“We are competing with our geographical neighbors for these investments that not only bring in a considerable amount of capital but also the technology and know-how that can only benefit our country and its people. Learning from and utilizing best practices and technology for the development of Philippine industries is among the goals of Tatak Pinoy,” the senator added.