(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Wednesday, 27 March 2024) Easterlies affecting the eastern section of the country. Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur will experience Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to Easterlies / Localized Thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.


Thursday, May 4, 2023

ARTA spotchecks PIA Caraga in Butuan

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY -- Just in time with the scheduled Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) Roadshow in Butuan City on May 5, the Anti-Red Tape Authority from Central Office conducted on Wednesday, May 3, a spot inspection of the ARTA compliance at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga Regional Office, this city. 

Cady Lene Perez, project development officer IV, and Mark Jonald Delos Santos, project development officer II, arrived at the regional office at around 10:00 in the morning of May 3, and introduced themselves as representatives of ARTA, who were tasked to conduct the spot inspection.

Regional Director Venus Garcia, along with the information officers and administrative personnel of the Agency, shared and discussed to the ARTA validators the PIA  services and processes/mechanisms made available to the clientele anchored on the ease of doing business such as timely response on requests for advocacy and media relations and the production/dissemination of IEC materials; and conformity to two to three signatories in all relevant document approvals, including the observance of no noon break, presence of a public assistance and complaint desk and officer, and priority assistance for senior citizens, pregnant women and persons with disabilities. 

The ARTA personnel also checked and validated the PIA's Citizens Charter, and had a short tour inside the regional office to assess the functionality and responsiveness of all the employees.

Immediately after the conduct of spot inspection, the ARTA validators commended the readiness of the regional office on the ARTA mandatory requirements which are visible and in place. They recognized on how organized and responsive are the personnel in-charge in the provision of the Agency's programs and services. 

Perez further, presented the results of the spot inspection to PIA Caraga indicating the areas that require action steps for either revision or improvement. She stressed the need to simply indicate the specific services of the Agency and limit to trasnactions available in the regional office only, so by looking at the Citizens Charter clientele can easily understand the specific services offered by the regional office including the turn around time of the later. 

On the other hand, Director Garcia thanked the ARTA representatives for their time in visiting the Regional Office and in ensuring that government agencies such as the PIA, really complies with the implementation of ARTA and effectively performs its mandates. 

The PIA Caraga Regional Office is the second to have been visited by the ARTA team among the Agency's regional offices this year. The conduct of said spot inspection further strengthened and enhanced the PIA regional office's implementation of R.A. 11032, or ARTA, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations in the Agency.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary Ramon Cualoping III, director-general of the PIA, has already directed all the PIA personnel to comply with the standards set by ARTA. He also stressed that the results of the validation will serve as inputs in defining areas for improvement in the delivery of the PIA's services to the transacting public.

Republic Act 11032, or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, aims to reduce red tape in the bureaucracy, hastens transactions in the government and provides stiffer penalties for those engaging in graft and corruption. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

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