In Pampanga, LGUs shun red tape in permit renewals, processes
The local governments of three cities and 19 towns in Pampanga province have streamlined the issuance and renewal of mayor’s permits, a program that the Central Luzon Growth Corridor Foundation Inc. began 12 years ago.
These LGUs have reduced their respective processes for permit applications to three signatures, while the processing time should only take five minutes for renewal and two days for new permits, if the requirements are complete.
Stringent
The process of validation is stringent, with teams from the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Trade and Industry doing most of the work.
The latest to get recognized in June for their efficiency were the towns of Candaba (for streamlining), San Simon (IT solutions), and Lubao (best in customer relations), and the City of San Fernando (for institutionalization of streamlining).
In the 2017 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index, San Fernando placed second in economic dynamism, sixth in resiliency and 10th in infrastructure. Among the third to sixth class towns, San Simon ranked sixth in infrastructure, seventh in overall competitiveness and 10th in economic dynamism.
In December last year, the business permit and license division of Angeles City received the blue certification from the Office of the Ombudsman, stating that clients had benefited from the ease of doing business with the government, in terms of registering new businesses and renewing business permits.
“A tool developed by the research bureau consisting of 87 standards divided into categories, including the application form, the system, down to the licensing procedure and assessment itself, was used in evaluating the LGUs’ conformity [to the standards],” said Raquel Rosario Macarayag, acting director of the Ombudsman’s Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Bureau.
ISO certification
In September, the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) obtained a certification as having complied with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 for its quality management system.
ISO 9001:2015 is the latest version of ISO 9001, a globally recognized standard that acknowledges organizations which provide effective customer and regulatory services.
AJA Registrars issued the certification that covers the provision of business development, business enhancement and zone management services.
The certification makes CDC compliant with the requirement of the national government’s quality management committee to transition to IS 9001:2015.
“When locators apply in Clark, they only deal with the business department. All investment processes are automated,” said CDC president and chief executive officer Noel Manankil.
Evan McBride, chief invest- ment officer of Global Gateway Development Corp. (GGDC), found CDC to be doing a “very transparent business process.”
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) applies in Clark its Single Entry Approach (Sena), a system of resolving issues with employers. In August, 178 Clark workers reportedly received P2.716 million in money claims due to this system. The said agency has an office in Clark.
“The Sena has been around for nearly 10 years and we have found great success in preventing various labor disputes materialize into full blown labor standard cases,” said Zenaida Angara-Campita, DOLE director in Central Luzon.
The processing and the issuances of environmental compliance certificates in Clark are again provided by the regional directors of the Environmental Management Bureau, according to an order from Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.
The tasks used to be overseen by the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Negosyo centers
The DTI meanwhile, was able to establish 26 more Negosyo Centers in Central Luzon in 2017, adding to the 29 it had put up in 2016.
The latest to have these Negosyo Centers in Pampanga were Lubao, Mexico, Mabalacat and Guagua. These centers are tasked to promote ease of doing business and access to services for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), coordinate government processes in the set-up and management of MSMEs, and facilitate their business registration.
The centers coordinate with local governments and agencies, provide business information and training for MSMEs, monitor and recommend business process improvement, and build support network and market linkages.