LoGIC, LPP team up for EoDB forum

The Local Government Integrity Circles (LoGIC) Network in partnership with the League
of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) held the first national forum on Ease of Doing
Business (EoDB) with the theme: “R.A. 11032: Leading the LGUs towards efficient
government service delivery” on October 17, 2019 at the Diamond Hotel along Roxas
Boulevard, Manila.
Ms. Stephanie Carette, Program Manager for the European Union Delegation in the
Philippines, and Hon. Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr., the National President of LPP and
Governor of the Province of Marinduque, delivered the welcome message to 102
delegates from various local government units, civil society organizations, business
sector, and national government agencies.
The forum was composed of two sessions from morning until afternoon with each session
followed by an open forum to permit the audience to ask questions to the speakers.
The first half of the forum featured officials from Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),
Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Civil Service Commission (CSC), and Department of
Interior and Local Government (DILG) to highlight key insights as well as their role in
providing more transparent and business-friendly environment.
Atty. Ernesto V. Perez, Deputy Director General of ARTA, emphasized measures under
the EoDB law which include zero-contact policy, unified application form, business one-
stop shop, whole-of-government approach, and the existence of automated, electronic,
and centralized procedures. He also expressed the significance of communicating
extensively with the public using different media including social media at this modern
times.
Digitalization then allows for a wider audience reach, faster transaction times, 24/7
service across multiple channels, lower transaction costs, and easier processes.
Lastly, the second part of the forum focused on the four provinces of Bohol, Iloilo, Bataan,
and South Cotabato. Respective governors as well as the presidents of each province’s
chamber of commerce and industry presented local challenges and opportunities
concerning the EoDB law at the local government level.
The national forum was a joint effort conducted by LoGIC and LPP to encourage a
dialogue and facilitate an exchange of views and suggestions regarding the current status
of service delivery in the country.
The EoDB law, with promise for a more competitive business environment, aims to
streamline the existing government system and to adopt simplified requirements that will
reduce ineffective regulation and expedite business, non-business related transactions in
the government.