Iloilo City achieves 100% ARTA compliance for second year

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Iloilo City scored 100 percent compliance with Republic Act (RA) No. 11032 (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act) in 2023.

The confirmation came from the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), as reported by Velma Lao, head of the Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP) Office.

This marks the second consecutive year that Iloilo City has been assessed as fully compliant with ARTA standards.

Lao highlighted the city’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and efficiency in delivering government services, in accordance with the provisions of RA No. 11032.

The city submitted an annual compliance report to ARTA, encompassing the Citizen’s Charter (2nd Edition), Certificate of Compliance, Client Satisfaction Measurement Report, Committee on Anti-Red Tape, Initial Whole-of-the-Government Reengineering Plan, and Zero Backlog Report.

Lao said that achieving compliance means the city not only met but exceeded the expectations and requirements related to the ease of doing business and efficient government service delivery.

“By being compliant, it means that we submit and comply with what we are expected or required to relative to ease of doing business and efficient government service delivery with emphasis on accountability, transparency, and responsiveness,” she noted.

In addition to ARTA compliance, Iloilo City, through the LEDIP Office, successfully participated in and graduated from the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Training for the Advance Course in collaboration with other participants from the Human Resource Management Office, City Administrator’s Office, Internal Audit Services Office, and Business Permit and Licensing Division.

The city also actively engaged in the Ease of Doing Business Compliance Evaluation, where the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), ARTA, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) assessed and inspected the city’s processes.

Lao acknowledged the significant role of ARTA as a regulatory body, stating, “They do constant monitoring and send feedback on areas we need to improve on. This is very vital because as a government, we need to be responsive to the needs of our citizens.”

Iloilo City’s commitment to excellence in governance and efficient service delivery positions it as a model for other localities striving for improved public service standards.