BAGUIO CITY – The city government here obtained a good rating in the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) Watch conducted by the Civil Service Commission.
CSC-CAR regional director Cornelia Rillera disclosed that the city government of Baguio got an 88% rating compared to last year’s 85% rating which is equivalent to a good rating in the ARTA Watch program of the CSC.
“Included in our monitoring is to ensure that policies provided under the law such as the No noon break policy, posting of citizen charter, posting of anti-fixer signage and the availability of a public assistance desk, are continuously being implemented,” said Rillera.
She pointed out that the city government of Baguio needs to improve their facilities like the comfort room at the HSO and to make sure that the Public Assistance Complaint Desk (PACD) is continuously attended by knowledgeable personnel.
“It is also important to regularly orient the role of the PACD as the frontline service provider of the agency,” added Rillera.
The wearing of ID is also very vital in the compliance to the provisions of the ARTA.
With regard the anti-fixer campaign, apart from using poster as measure against fixers, the city government could promote the campaign against fixers by reminding clients not to entertain individuals who promise faster services in exchange of price in cash or in kind, Rillera asserted.
According to assistant city human resource management officer Edith Dawaten, they are finalizing the city’s ARTA manual and at the same time making revisions of the citizen’s charter for better and clearer understanding of the clients on the different transactions and processes in the city.
The Republic Act 9485, otherwise known as the Anti-Red Tape Act (Arta) of 2007 has been in effect since September 5, 2008 following the issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) by the Civil Service Commission. It provides that all government agencies including departments, bureaus, offices, instrumentalities, or government-owned and or controlled corporations, or local government or district units shall set up their respective standards to be known as the Citizen’s Charter within one year after the effectivity of said law.
Said act aims to promote efficiency and transparency in government with regard to the manner of transacting with the public by requiring each agency to simplify frontline service procedures, formulate service standards to observe in every transaction and make known these standards to the clients/citizens.
ARTA of 2007 was enacted to improve efficiency in the delivery of government service to the public. The reduction of bureaucratic red tape and prevention of graft and corruption is the main purpose of the RA.
The CSC adopted mechanism called ARTA Watch in which actual “on-the-spot” monitoring and inspection was conducted to the Health Services Office to check their services and compliance to the provisions of the ARTA whether the city government here is continuously doing its part to improving the delivery of public service./Jho Arranz
