A Pulse Asia survey conducted in March 2024 revealed that around 56% of Filipinos believe that complicated rules and regulations like red tape and changes in government policies and regulations are the major deterrents to foreign investments in the Philippines.
Can the country, long accustomed to slow queues and frustrating delays in government transactions, ever untangle its red tape and eradicate inefficiency in public service?
As our digital calendars flipped to 2024 a year ago, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. emphatically made a bold promise to run a fast-paced government, to eliminate red tape, and to expedite government services and projects.
In his New Year’s message to the Filipino people, President Marcos vowed: “We will continue to purge the government of rules that slow the delivery of public services because when projects get delayed, progress is denied to our people. And this commitment to efficiency and service will extend to documents and licenses because service delayed is also service denied.”
President Marcos had made the same pledge in 2023, emphasizing the importance of bureaucratic digitalization during the fifth anniversary celebrations of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), where he lauded the success of eBOSS as a testament to the power of digital transformation in promoting ease of business and stimulating economic development.
The President’s Call to Action
Since his inauguration, President Marcos has consistently called for all government offices to streamline the delivery of services to the people as a grand blueprint to attract investors and entice existing businesses to expand their operations in the country.
Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Director General Ernesto Perez (left) joins CDC President and CEO Atty. Agnes Devanadera (right) for the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the Business One-Stop Shop at the Clark Freeport Zone.
“Ito ang aking mga mahigpit na tagubilin sa mga kawani ng gobyerno: Una, bawal ang tamad at makupad sa pamahalaan. Walang puwang ang mga mabagal at sagabal sa serbisyo publiko,” the president warned.
He added: “Services must be fast, projects must be completed on time, deadlines must be met per schedule, and distress calls must be responded to without delay. In whatever government office, red tape must be replaced with a red carpet.”
President also directed offices to simplify requirements needed to secure documents from the government. “Complex requirements and the processing time must be reduced,” he said.
He noted that the hardest hit by this bureaucratic red tape is the business sector, specifically dealing with securing permits and other business documents, the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) included.
On November 6, 2024, CDC resoundingly answered the president’s call and brought the presidential promise to life in the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) in Pampanga when it launched its Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS), a historic first of its kind outside the eBOSS mandate of local government units. ARTA Director General Sec. Ernesto V. Perez joined CDC President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Agnes VST Devanadera on the momentous occasion.
Satisfied Beneficiaries
MJ, an employee of a development corporation currently building a hotel and commercial complex in Clark, gave the BOSS a perfect score.
She said, “For me, kung ire-rate ko sya, 10, since yung transaction dito is very smooth lang. Actually sila mismo yung tumatawag or nag-e-mail (na) pwede na kunin yung mga hinihingi naming requirements para ma-ongoing yung mga project na ginagawa amin.”
As to what particular BOSS service she would rate highly, MJ said, “Yung pag organize nila, like sa sanitary permit, sa building permit, sa cashier… So mas madali sya kasi kasi kino-core nila. Saka yun nga… pag once na OK na yung mga requirements, sila mismo nag-i-initiate na tumawag sa amin or mag email.”
Leah Jorvina, a Clark locator, used to encounter problems due to the distance to the cashier’s office. She said, “Kasi dati talaga, yung permit ko sa kabilang building tapos yung cashier po magsasakay ulit kami ng sasakyan namin. Medyo malayo sya.”
But now, she said, “Andito na kumpleto na yung cashier at yung permit na kailangan. Mas madali naman po s’ya.”
As a Clark locator employee who needs to process permits for trucks every day, Leah makes daily visits to the BOSS facility. She describes her time-saving experiences at BOSS: “Nakalagay naman po dito 25 minutes, pero hindi naman po sya. Mga 10 minutes lang po, mabilis lang po talaga. Pagkapunta ko doon, bayad na. Tapos OK na sya.”
Located within the Clark Freeport Zone, the Business One-Stop Shop facility helps locators to have a more convenient process of transacting with various government agencies.
Jess, another BOSS client, described the old situation at Clark before BOSS was launched. He complained, “Yung scenario kasi is merong mga businesses dito na actually pinapabayad lang sa akin yung mga receipts so medyo nung una, tricky yung situation dahil hindi sya ganun ka-easily accessible, tapos longer queues tapos marami ka pang pinupuntahan.”
But after BOSS was launched, Jess began singing a different tune. He said, “Ngayon nagulat nga ako. Parang, may isang receipt, may isang area kang pupuntahan. Pwede kang magbayad ng business, yung government affiliates na pwede dito, like, for example, may traffic violation ka pwede rin dito. Yung oneness ng process maganda.”
He also sang praises for the waiting time. “Well, yung pinakamaganda is yung waiting time, actually… I don’t know, pero pagdating ko dito, walang two minutes, three minutes, natapos na yung pagbabayad ko, so fluid talaga. Kasi mabilis yung processing, so walang problema.”
Asked if he would recommend BOSS to others, Jess enthusiastically said, “Definitely, definitely! Kung mayroon kayong babayaran na pwede naming bayaran dito, I would suggest na dito nyo nalang bayaran. Kasi sa atin lalo na nowadays important yung oras. Yung oras at panahon, ‘di mo
mababawi. Makaka-save ka ng panahon dito sa pagbabayad.”
Digital Solution
The primary function of CDC’s BOSS is to simplify and fast-track the process of obtaining essential documents for CFZ investors and locators and to promote convenience and efficiency in the whole process. It covers services from pre-application counseling to post-approval monitoring to ensure that the process flows smoothly and efficiently. This is in line with President Marcos’ directive of a whole-of-government approach to ensure effective government action.
Devanadera noted, “Because of this strategy that President Marcos would want us to adopt, we have brought some of you as high as the Office of the President and the Office of the Executive Secretary, just to be able to work through our problems, and sometimes they don’t need new laws. They don’t need amendments. Sometimes it’s simply that we have to make the government work.”
The BOSS facility is a major development in the CFZ as it highlights the freeport as a premier investment destination. Estimated to benefit 1,161 locators and 136,836 employees in Clark, the BOSS is expected to attract even more foreign investments to the CFZ.
Devanadera enthused, “I think this is one of the things that I can take pride in, that here at CDC, we are embracing a culture of responding to the needs and the issues employing the whole-of-government approach.”
Perez, emphasizing the importance of streamlining processes in order to promote ease of doing business in the Philippines, vowed, “ARTA stands ready to support CDC in all its endeavors to further enhance the delivery of government services in Clark.”
Lauding the BOSS facility, Perez said: “May the example being set today by the Clark Development Corp. be emulated by the whole country, nationwide, because you are showcasing the way government service must be rendered to your stakeholders, to your locators.”
Since the launch of the BOSS, investors, locators, and even workers at CFZ have been the fortunate beneficiaries of its obvious benefits.
Devanadera revealed, “Nakuha natin sa ating mga locators, investors na ang hinahanap nila sa Pilipinas ay yung ease in doing business.”
She noted that here in the Philippines, starting a business is tedious work, particularly in securing various permits from different offices, compared with doing business abroad where permits can be applied online.
“So, ang ginawa namin, gumawa kami ng isang opisina na nandoon lahat ng permits, by window. Hindi ka na lalakad [nang malayo],” she said.
Clark is the only freeport zone with a BOSS facility that allows businesses to complete necessary registrations and permits in a single location.
Devanadera also touted CDC efforts to automate other processes that will not need physical appearances.
“So, hindi mo na kailangang pumunta dito. Online pwede kang mag-file,” she said. “From the comforts of your office, ay pwede ka na magbayad.”
Devanadera proudly said, “Sabi ng ARTA, Ang Clark Freeport Zone lang daw na freeport ang merong business one-stop shop.”
