Amid the fuel crisis due to the war in the Middle East, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Tuesday, April 14, simultaneously rolled out DENR’s “Permitting on Wheels” across the country to bring their services closer to the public, especially to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

During the launch at Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Manila, DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the program is in line with the order of President Marcos to bring government services closer to the citizenry, and make services easier and faster.

“[Utos ng Pangulong Marcos], gumawa ng mga hakbang para po maging mas magaan ang buhay ng tao, lalo na ngayon sa mga dinadaanan nating crisis as a result of the situation in the Middle East (By order of President Marcos, we are taking steps to ease the lives of the people, especially now as we go through crises resulting from the situation in the Middle East),” he said.

“So, minabuti po namin na ilapit sa mga tao ang serbisyo at turuan sila nang husto pati na rin po ang pamahalaang local. We want to be able to also capacitate the local government units para hindi na po kailangang pumunta ng Central Office ng DENR [sa Quezon City] ‘yung mga tao,” he added.

Under the DENR’s “Permitting on Wheels,” the agency said it will bring its permitting services directly to cities and municipalities once a month to assist applicants.

The environment department said personnel from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) will be on-site to guide and assist entrepreneurs on permitting requirements covering air quality, chemicals, environmental impact assessment and management, hazardous waste, and water quality.

“Entrepreneurs will also be able to file on the spot applications for a tree cutting permit, chainsaw permit to import, certificate of transshipment, wildlife importation permit or a wildlife local transport permit,” the agency stated.

Prior to this program, Cuna noted that applicants from far-flung areas had to process CNCs, wastewater discharge permits, and hazardous waste registrations through online systems on their own, with delays commonly arising from lacking documents.

“With DENR Permitting on Wheels, the process becomes hands-on and immediate,” he added.

According to the DENR, the mobile hub service is expected to generate time and cost efficiencies by delivering permitting services directly to local governments.

As such, the department added that it will eliminate the need for repeated trips, with real-time document validation and on-site assistance to resolve application gaps and speed up approvals.

The agency said applicants will receive personalized technical support, as staff help them navigate digital systems and complete their online submissions using on-site facilities.

After the nationwide rollout, the DENR said it is eyeing to institutionalize “Permitting on Wheels” as a regular monthly service, ensuring a predictable delivery of assistance to help businesses grow while safeguarding the environment.

For his part, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said that despite the crisis, the city government continues to welcome and support those seeking livelihood in the capital, noting that the DENR’s initiative is a significant boost to local governance. 

“Kaya talaga itong ginagawa ng DENR ay napakalaking bagay sa amin bilang lokal na pamahalaan sapagkat sa iba’t-ibang alintutunin na aming ipapatupad, may bahagi noon ay manggagaling sa national government (That is why what the DENR is doing is a big help to us as a local government, because parts of the various regulations we implement come from the national government),” he said.

“O, ‘wag na kayo lumayo isa sa mga key problema ng mga malalaking development ay ECC, but, with these activities, programs of DENR ay mas gagaan, mas bibilis, mas gagaling (To cite an example, one of the key problems in major developments is the ECC, but with these DENR activities and programs, the process will become easier, faster, and more efficient).”