Davao del Norte to launch citizen’s charter vs graft

The provincial government of Davao del Norte is set to unveil its Citizen’s Charter on September 14, in time with the 109th Anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service in the province.
Gov. Rodolfo Del Rosario will lead the unveiling of the top 20 frontline services of the province. He will be assisted by Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio Jr., Civil Service Commission 11 Assistant Regional Director Lilia Clamor, Local Government Provincial Director Gregorio Versoza and members  of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
The citizen’s charter is in compliance with Republic Act 9485, otherwise known as the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) of 2007, designed to make government front line services in the province faster and more efficient in carrying out corruption-free transactions and services.
Gov. Del Rosario repeated the full subservience of the province to the ARTA, hailing the law as an important milestone in effecting fast, efficient, and corruption free transactions and services from local government units, among all the other agencies of the government.
He said it was easy for the province to craft the citizen’s charter because of the reforms in governance that he has initiated, adding the charter merely institutionalized the already existing services in the provincial government, foremost of which is the People’s Day, where the ordinary public can avail of the services of the province in no time at all.
Provincial Human Resource Management Office Head Monica Salido said various local government units and national  agencies in Davao del Norte are also expected to launch this month their respective citizen’s charter in line with the Civil Service Month celebration, according to CSC Provincial Director  Ma. Faith Presbitero.
Lawyer Presbitero cited the town of Braulio E. Dujali as the first LGU of Davao del Norte to put up its Citizen’s Chater, followed by the Municipality of Kapalong which publicly unveiled its charter last month.
Presbitero said the deadline of Citizen’s  Charter compliance was last September 5, which paved way for the full implementation of ARTA covering all government offices and agencies including LGUs and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) that provide frontline services.
RA 9485 defines Citizen’s Charter as an official document, a service standard, or a pledged, that communicates in simple terms the information on the services provided by the government to its citizens.
The Charter describes the step-by-step procedure for availing a particular service and the guaranteed performance level that clients may expect for that service.
RA 9485 puts particular focus on frontline services which refer to the process or transaction between clients and government offices or agencies involving applications for any privilege, right, permit, reward, license, concession, or for any modification, renewal or extension of the enumerated applications and or requests which are acted upon in the ordinary course of business of the office or agency  concerned.
Other than the rule on Citizen’s Charter, RA 9485 also provides for rules regarding the accountability of heads of offices and agencies, who according to the law, bear the primary responsibility to implement all other rules of the law and “shall be held accountable to the public in rendering fast, efficient, convenient and reliable services.”
It also provides rules on accessing frontline services which should be rendered within five working days in response to requests involving simple transactions and 10 working day for those that take complex transaction.
Under the rules on accessing frontline services, government employees are required observe appropriate working schedules, to wear identification card which should be worn during office hour and that their respective office should put up a public assistance desk.
The rule provides uninterrupted delivery of frontline services, meaning, “there would no longer be lunch break and snack time.” Atty. Presbitero said. “We should serve clients who would come in at 12:30 for instances,” she explained.
Meanwhile, RA 9485 categorizes violations made of its provisions into light and grave offenses and spells out corresponding disciplinary actions.
Classified as light offenses are refusal to accept application and or request within the prescribed period or any document being submitted by a client; failure to act on request; failure to attend to clients during official working hours and during lunch breaks; failure to render frontline service within the prescribed period; failure to give client a written notice of the disapproval of an application or request; and imposition of additional irrelevant requirements.
Classified as grave offense are fixing and or collusion with fixers in consideration of economic and or other gain or advantage.
Suspension for 30 days without pay and mandatory attendance to values orientation program shall be imposed on those committing light offenses while those would commit grave offense shall be dismissed and perpetually disqualified from public service.(with reports from Jean Abangan/PIA-XI)

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