Duterte wants agencies to automate processes for ease of doing business

December 3, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the proposal of the Department of Trade and Industry to make all concerned agencies to automate their processes as part of ease of doing business reforms.

Duterte gave his nod during the 44th Cabinet meeting Monday night at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room in Malacanang.

In a statement on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez reported the result of the Doing Business 2020 by the World Bank where the Philippines climbed 29 notches, ranking 95th from the previous 124th.

"To further improve our rankings in the coming years, Secretary Lopez proposed to adopt the ease of doing business reforms, and asked concerned agencies to streamline and automate their processes. This was approved by the Chief Executive," he said.

Panelo, also the chief presidential legal counsel, said Duterte also gave the go- signal to come up first with an executive order regarding the National Land Use while there is no law yet.

Duterte has underscored the importance of the passage of the National Land Use Act as National Economic and Development Authority Director General and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia and Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro shared the salient points of the draft bill.

According to the spokesman, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra also updated the Cabinet on the Department of Justice's review of the Maynilad and Manila Water Concession Agreements.

Solicitor General Jose Calida reported on the updates on the Arbitral Ruling regarding the government's indemnification to Manila Water.

Also discussed during the Cabinet meeting was the preparation by the various government agencies on Typhoon "Tisoy."

Panelo, quoting Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, administrator of the Office of Civil Defense and executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, said  the different response clusters have already prepositioned food and non-food family packs and medicines, evacuated thousands of families, suspended classes in schools, deployed medical teams, as well as police and military agents to help in maintaining law and order. Celerina Monte/DMS