DAVAO CITY — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Southern Mindanao has accelerated the implementation of its anti-red tape project.
DILG regional director Quirino M. Libunao said that they are closely monitored the compliance of local government units (LGUs) in formulating their respective Citizens’ Charter, which would guide citizens on how to quickly avail of frontline government services at the community level.
The Comprehensive and Unified Response to Eliminate Red Tape (Cure) is one of the major flagship programs of DILG, a response to the provisions stated under Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Law of 2007.
RA 9485, seeks to prevent graft and corruption at the local level by requiring all government offices, including LGUs, to formulate a Citizen’s Charter by June 2009. This document contains relevant information on the frontline services and goods provided by LGUs to its citizens and serves as the standard of their delivery of these services and goods to the public.
“The government alone cannot win the battle against red tape and inefficiency in our bureaucracy. With the speedy implementation of Project Cure, the public is assured that there will be improved efficiency and effectiveness of LGUs in delivering basic public goods and services through the elimination of red tape practices”, said RD Libunao.
Training for the national pool of trainers for Project Cure was held early this year at the Local Government Academy (LGA) training center in Los Banos Laguna. Simultaneous training was held afterwards in six clusters in the cities of Baguio, Bataan, Laguna, Cebu and Davao to train the regional pool of trainers. Those who participated in the trainings are to be “anti-red tape champions” who will provide technical assistance to local officials in crafting their citizen’s charter.
So far, the DILG regional office in tandem with the Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman have already provided anti-red tape trainings to 45 LGUs in the region. The regional and provincial/city coaches team headed by assistant chief Cristina Amoy will assist LGUs in crafting their charter. These trainors will also lead in learning provisions of the anti-red tape law; improving the existing systems and procedures of delivering frontline services at the local level; and providing venues for the enforcement of the law through citizens’ feedbacks and development of community-level alliances with anti-corruption watchdogs.
Libunao said any complaint regarding violations of the Anti-Red Tape Act and its Implementing rules and regulations may be received by the DILG field offices, and forwarded to the central office for endorsement to the Office of the Ombudsman. (DILG XI/PIA XI)
