ARTA lauds DENR for capacity building initiatives

ARTA to bolster whole-of-gov’t approach on streamlining and digitalization for issues hounding PH health sector

14 November 2022 – Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Ernesto V. Perez lauded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for its initiative in capacitating its staff to implement Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

This, after the Authority was invited to participate in the Training of Trainers event organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Davao last 26 – 28 October 2022.

The ARTA OIC emphasized the importance of agencies taking the initiative to equip their staff with the tools they need to improve government service delivery.

“ARTA welcomes the eagerness of government agencies to partner with us in capacitating their personnel,” he said.

“This is very helpful in the thrust of the Marcos administration to boost bureaucratic efficiency, which will be beneficial as our economy recovers from the pandemic,” he added.

ARTA, through its Regulatory Management and Training Division (RMTD) and Eastern Mindanao Regional Field Office (RFO), discussed the salient features of the law, including the Citizen’s Charter, the prescribed processing time of government transactions, automatic renewal and approval, and other relevant topics covered by the law.

Dr. Karl Joseph D. Sanmocte, OIC Director of the Better Regulations Office (BRO), highlighted the National Policy on Regulatory Management System (NPRMS), which serves as one of the foundations of a good regulatory environment.

NPRMS provides a common framework for good regulatory practice for regulators at all stages of the regulatory life cycle, from the inception, implementation, and eventual repeal of regulations.

It aims to promote the adoption of a systematized management of regulations, including the conduct of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) as mandated by Sections 5 of the law.

Ms. Alexandrea F. Ubaldo, Project Development Officer II, highlighted the importance of the RIA processes in ensuring that policies do not impose an undue burden on the transacting public.

This training is in line with ARTA’s mandate to conduct regulatory management training programs and capacitate national government agencies and local government units to comply with sound regulatory management practices.

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ARTA directed to strengthen EODB and anti-red tape initiatives; earns support from business community

13 November 2022 – Undersecretary Ernesto V. Perez, Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), assured that the agency will continue to perform its mandate with much more vigor, given the expression of support from the Office of the President and the business community.

This, after a no-holds barred discussion on the government’s policy on anti-red tape and ease of doing business with ARTA, Executive Secretary and retired Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, and top business leaders Philippine Exporters Federation (PhilExport) President Sergio Ortiz- Luis, Jr. and
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Chairman Dr. William Co. ES Bersamin assured the top business leaders of an open line of communication which will promptly address any issue or concern brought to his attention.

Also present were PhilExport Corporate Secretary and Bataan Freeport Chairman Pablo Gancayco and Council for Overseas Filipinos Undersecretary and concurrent PCCI board member, Abdulgani Macatoman.

The Executive Secretary then directed ARTA OIC Perez to exhaust all efforts to cut red tape in the country and the filing of necessary charges against erring officials. This, for the people to feel the government’s drive to deliver more efficient services.

ARTA is an attached agency of the Office of the President (OP) to which the Office of the Executive Secretary directly supervises.

In turn, the business leaders assured ES Bersamin that their organizations have always supported the administration’s programs. More so, on its streamlining and digitalization initiatives of government services in which ARTA played a big role in.

The organizations, likewise, expressed full confidence in the leadership of OIC Perez.

Perez served as the keynote speaker during the PhilExport’s 30th anniversary celebration where he shared the various streamlining and digitalization programs and initiatives of ARTA in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

He also served as one of the main speakers during the PCCI’s 48th Philippine Business Conference and Expo.

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Palace appoints Perez as the new ARTA Director General

14 November 2022 – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. has appointed Atty. Ernesto V. Perez as new Secretary (Director General) of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).

Perez succeeds Atty. Jeremiah Belgica who served from July 2019 to June 2022.

Prior to being appointed as chief of the anti-red tape body, Perez was Deputy Director General for Operations since 2018 and concurrent Officer-in-Charge of the agency since June 2022 under the Office of the President’s Memorandum Circular No. 3.

Director General Ernesto V. Perez was appointed on 1 December 2018, serving as ARTA’s first ever employee.

“This appointment is really providential, as it would allow us to further continue what we have always aspired for from the very start, that is, to remove red tape and increase the ease of doing business, ultimately benefiting the economy and the people,” the newly appointed Director General stated.

“I thank President Bongbong Marcos for his trust and for Executive Secretary Bersamin’s guidance and support, as well as my colleagues in ARTA, who are doing the legwork to ensure effective and efficient government service delivery,” he added.

“ARTA will continue to be committed to performing its mandate by improving the ease of doing business in the country to help attract more investors. We will do our best to realize PBBM’s vision for government agencies to streamline their processes to provide better services to the people,” the ARTA chief said.

Prior to his appointment to ARTA, he was a lawyer and certified public accountant (CPA) by profession. He then served as the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Consumer Protection Group from 6 January 2017 to 30 November 2018.

He concurrently served as chairman of the DTI-Steel Task Force where he led the investigation on the biggest steel importation in the country. He likewise served as OIC-Director of the Bureau of Philippine Standards, where he promulgated the development of 108 new standards and the revision of 151 Philippine National Standards aligned with the international standards of ISO/IEC and good regulatory practices of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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