Project ELO bats for faster, more efficient transactions
If there is one thing that has always been part of our daily lives but most of us definitely dread, it’s lining up for transactions. Whether it’s waiting in line to order food at a restaurant, or queuing to purchase a train ticket, the idea of standing for minutes, if not hours, is enough to put us on edge.
This is particularly painstaking for people applying for permits and licenses in government offices. Not only are the queues long and winding, the process itself is filled with red tape, corruption and bureaucracy.
A single business permit application could take several days to process and requires a number of forms and identification papers. It’s costly as well due to the fees one has to pay, aside from the costs that transportation and food entail. Nobody wants to endure heavy traffic just to go back to the city hall for several days and be passed around from one office to another.
Parañaque is among the cities in Metro Manila that used to have such complicated procedures, according to its Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) Head Atty. Melanie Malaya. A single permit application previously took 19 steps and several forms. An applicant would have to queue in front of different departments and offices for proper assessment and payment.
While the system was computerized, it wasn’t integrated into a single system — each department had their own system for assessing and payment collection. It was very much open to manipulation and corruption, which city hall employees used to benefit from. The complicated, painstaking process created a big headache to many Parañaqueños, particularly the poor — the rich can easily bribe their way to having their applications processed faster.
“Since 2013, we have been introducing innovations in process of permits and licenses. As you know, when we first took office, the process was composed of 19 steps. We immediately streamlined it to five steps, then four steps, and finally, three steps. Every year, we’re introducing innovations to streamline the process,” Malaya said.
For this year, the BPLO has introduced Project ELO, which stands for Express Lane Operations. The innovation was introduced in compliance with the Ease of Doing Business Act, which the Congress recently passed.
What Project ELO basically aims is to make the current process even faster and more efficient. To achieve this goal, we established a concierge that serves as a one-stop shop for everything an applicant needs in permit and license applications. Everything is there, whether an applicant needs a barangay clearance, community tax certificate (cedula) or other pertinent documents.
The entire process is summarized into three steps: (1) Application, Verification and Assessment of Requirements, (2) Payment, and (3) Releasing of Permits.
“Gone are the days when you have to go to the Planning Office, Building Office, and even to the Barangay Hall to process your application because everything is in one place. We have a software that links different offices to the BPLO in real time so they can see which applications were made, when it was made, what time it was made, how much was paid, and what requirements were submitted,” Malaya explained.
Malaya added that to ease the payment process, she lobbied the City Council to pass an ordinance authorizing the City Treasurer to collect and remit fees for barangay clearances and community tax certificates. Every seven days, the City Treasurer can remit to the barangays their share in the fees collected.
“With Project ELO, applicants no longer have to endure a painstakingly long process. Given that the applicant has all the requirements, an application can be approved and a permit can be released within a day. It saves the taxpayer time, money and effort that can otherwise be wasted in the previous process. So far, our taxpayers have positively received the innovation,” Malaya stated.
The lawyer added that they’re also studying further innovations such as an online appointment system similar to what is currently being used for passport applications at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). While currently pending approval, the innovation is expected to make the currently process under Project ELO even faster and more efficient.