The Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) ensuring the effective implementation of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11032, or the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (EODB EGSD)”, on 31 August 2023 in Diliman, Quezon City.
CSC Chairperson Karlo Nograles and ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez, together with CSC Commissioners Ryan Alvin Acosta and Aileen Lourdes Lizada and ARTA Undersecretaries Gerald G. Divinagracia and Geneses R. Abot, led the ceremonial signing of the landmark agreement aimed to improve anti-red tape reforms and foster an environment conducive to ease of doing business in the government sector.
“Today’s MOA signing is more than just a symbolic event because it has far-reaching implications in the realm of public service. The CSC and ARTA are tasked under the EODB EGSD to ensure that we promote integrity, accountability, and establish best practices to prevent corruption in the government. This event, finally, seals the deal between the CSC and ARTA to ultimately delineate the functions and mandates of the offices under R.A. No. 11032,” explained Chairperson Nograles.
CSC Assistant Commissioner Ariel Ronquillo presented the salient provisions of the MOA that resulted from the series of consultations and discussions aimed to reconcile apparent overlapping functions, clarify agency roles and duties, and identify potential areas for collaboration between the two agencies.
Under the MOA, CSC’s Anti-Red Tape Division (ARTD) in the Central Office and Anti-Red Tape Units (ARTU) in its regional offices shall serve as the focal points for initiatives aimed at enhancing service delivery within the civil service as well as handle complaints against government employees and officials for violation of R.A. 11032 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
ARTA, on the other hand, shall implement and oversee a national policy on anti-red tape and ease of doing business; initiate an investigation on the complaints endorsed by CSC; and assist complainants in filing necessary cases to either CSC or the Office of the Ombudsman.
CSC Assistant Commissioner Ronquillo noted that ARTA shall also facilitate the Report Card Survey (RCS) to all government agencies while CSC’s ARTD and ARTU shall receive, analyze, and utilize RCS results for recommending enhancements on service delivery improvement in the civil service.
ARTA Secretary Perez conveyed his gratitude to the CSC, acknowledging the agency’s unwavering commitment to public service and its invaluable guidance and support to ARTA’s programs.
“The signing of today’s MOA is our shared commitment to making the government more responsive to the needs of the people. With this agreement, we will further strengthen our collaboration and cooperation in implementing the EODB,” he added.
CSC Commissioner Acosta concluded the program by encouraging both agencies to make integrity, efficiency, and responsiveness become the norms in Philippine bureaucracy.
“Eliminating red tape not only fosters citizen satisfaction but also boosts organizational morale and economic growth. Let us, thus, work hand in hand to achieve the end that the MOA signed today intends and ensure that it will not be a mere collection of words in paper, but a pebble that will hopefully produce positive ripples in our offices, in the government as a whole, and our society at large,” said Commissioner Acosta.
The MOA signing was also attended by officials and representatives from the CSC Central Office, Supreme Court of the Philippines, House of Representatives, Office of the President, Department of Information and Communication Technology, and Department of Finance.