The Ease of Doing Business–Anti-Red Tape (EODB–ART) Advisory Council convened its 11th meeting recently at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Office in Makati City, marking significant strides in the country’s push for efficient, responsive, and transparent government service delivery.
The meeting, focused on crucial updates and ongoing initiatives from member agencies, highlighted a strong commitment to digital transformation and public-private sector partnership.
A major development from the meeting was the Council’s endorsement, upon the recommendation of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), to integrate the Accountability, Responsiveness, and Transparency (ART) Dashboard as a module within the eGovPH Super App. This initiative, in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), aims to:
Centralize Monitoring: The ART Dashboard, designed by ARTA Secretary and EODB-ART Vice Chairperson Ernesto V. Perez, serves as a digital platform to centrally monitor government agencies’ performance.
Enhance Service Delivery: Integrating it into the eGovPH Super App will further streamline and enhance accessibility and oversight of government services for the public.
The DICT, represented by Assistant Secretary Maria Victoria Castro, provided updates on two cornerstone digital projects:
Philippine Business Databank (PBD): ARTA expressed full support for the PBD’s implementation by the first quarter of 2026.
Central Business Portal (CBP): Implementation for the CBP is slated for the fourth quarter of 2026.
These platforms are essential for simplifying business registration and compliance processes across the country.
The Council also reaffirmed its commitment to closer collaboration through a formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the:
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA)
Philippine Quality Award Foundation, Inc. (PQAF)
Association of Government Internal Auditors (AGIA)
The MOU solidifies a shared vision for an efficient, innovative, and responsive service delivery system.
Additionally, the Philippines–Ease of Doing Business Foundation, Inc. President Roberto Alvarez provided updates on the Operational Permits and Protocols Simplification (OPPS) Program, noting the willingness of national industry organizations to share sector-specific concerns and endorse unified simplification recommendations.
The EODB-ART Council approved two other critical actions:
Accountability Measures: ARTA is set to request agencies ranked in the bottom third of the Competitiveness Dashboard to provide detailed comments and concrete action plans to improve their performance and ranking.
International Promotion: All agencies agreed to seek guidance from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the official representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), an effort to further promote inclusive businesses.
The meeting was also attended by DTI Chief of Staff Jeremiah Reyes, ARTA Deputy Director Generals Undersecretary Lea-Grace B. Salcedo (Operations) and Undersecretary Geneses R. Abot (Legal), Better Regulations Office (BRO) Director Marbida L. Marbida, Compliance Monitoring and Evaluation Office (CMEO) Director Grace L. Fernandez, and Department of the Interior and Local Government–Bureau of Local Government Development (DILG-BLGF) Division Chief Zaldy I. Masangkay.
