Parañaque is first LGU to be ‘fully compliant’ of Duterte’s order to simplify business processes

MANILA, Philippines — Parañaque City prides itself as the first local government unit (LGU) in the country to “fully comply” with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to simplify permit processes by launching the Express Lane Operation 2.0.

Calling the project a “game changer”, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez on Thursday spearheaded the launching of Express Lane Operation 2.0 or ELO 2.0 which seeks to simplify the application for business and working permits in the city by utilizing technology.

“This should boost our ongoing efforts to digitize and computerize all our systems, especially those involving applications for business and work permits, which will enhance investor confidence and improve service delivery,” Olivarez said.

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ELO 2.0 includes the computerization of the occupational or work permit system in the city, thus cutting the process from ten steps to four steps.

Melanie Malaya, who heads the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) in the city, explained that ELO 2.0 also consolidates the workers’ work permit, sanitary or health permit, and police clearance.

Once done, the worker will be given the Parañaque HELP card, an identification card that unifies the occupational permit, health certificate, and the police clearance.

Olivarez prides the HELP card as “the first of its kind” in the country.

Zero-contact through smart kiosks

The government also launched its smart kiosks which allows the public to print application for renewal of business permit and the statement of account for the quarterly payment of business taxes of fees without any human intervention.

“Printing can be done either by using a QR code or the use of the client’s Business Identification Number,” said Malaya.

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The government further noted its document management system which entails scanning of documents to the central storage so that they can be easily accessed by business permit applicants.

An extension of ELO 1.0

ELO 2.0 is the second phase of the city’s Project ELO.

Under ELO 1.0, processing of business permits were cut to three steps — application and verification, payment, and claiming of all permits — in the city’s Business One Stop Shop (BOSS).

Business owners can apply for their mayor’s permit, fire safety inspection certificate, sanitary permit, certificate of conformance from the city planning office, and barangay clearance at the same time.

They can also claim the permits on the same day as long as they have all the requirements needed.

Advanced features hailed

DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya hailed the technology and noted that while other LGUs also have BOSS system, they are not as advanced as that of Parañaque City.

“We are challenging all of the mayors, all of the LGUs na yung BOSS nila i-upgrade din nila. Dahil mayroon lang silang BOSS pero wala yung mga features na nandito sa Paranaque,” Jonathan Malaya said.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was also signed between the Parañaque City government and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) giving the LGU access to business name registration for verification purposes.

A separate MOU was also signed with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) recognizing the city as the first LGU in the Philippine Business Portal and Citizen’s Portal.

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In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Ease of Doing Business Act which seeks to simplify process of business transactions in government agencies.

“This law will introduce simplified requirements and streamlined procedures that will finally spare our people from the intolerable waiting time and long lines in frontline government agencies,” Duterte said in a speech.

LGUs are also mandated under the new law to set-up one-stop-shops to facilitate business permits application. /muf