Anti-Red Tape Authority lauds DAR

By BITOON A RANAO

July 29, 2019

MANILA: The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) was recently applauded by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) for the streamlining and improvement of its critical services.

In a letter dated July 4, 2019, Director General Ernesto V. Perez, officer-in-charge of ARTA “commend(ed) the efforts of DAR” to speed up and simplify its processes.

“We commend the efforts of DAR in implementing changes in support of the implementation of R.A. 11032 or the ‘Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services Act of 2018.’” Perez wrote Undersecretary Lucius Jun-Jun G. Malsi of DAR’s Finance, Management and Administration Office.

The actions required in availing of DAR’s critical services in its central and regional offices have been cut by up to eight steps which results to faster turnarounds by up to 65 days.

Steps in the application for land use conversion under the Regional Land Use Conversion Committee of DAR’s Regional Offices have been reduced by half, down to eight from 16. Expected completion is now pegged at 26 days from 42.

Meanwhile, the processing of land use conversion for lots that are more than five hectares, which is under the Bureau of Agrarian Legal Assistance of the Central Office, shall now take only 30 days from 90.

R.A. 11032, which amends R.A. No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, aims to reduce processing time, cut bureaucratic red tape, and also eliminate corrupt practices.

The Anti-Red Tape Authority, under the Office of the President, is the key implementer of the law and tasked to monitor the compliance of agencies. (Public Assistance and Media Relations Service, DAR)