Citizen's Charter
good governance
In consonance with the Civil Service commission, ten years ago, Republic Act No. 9485, also known as the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA), was enacted. The law provides for the cutting of red tape in all government frontline agencies through various mechanisms. These include the setting up of a Public Assistance and Complaints Desk (PACD), the implementation of the “No Noon Break” policy and the Anti-Fixer Campaign, and the provision of special lanes for the elderly, pregnant women, and differently abled persons.
Another is the publication of an agency’s Citizen’s Charter, a document that details all of its frontline services, including step-by-step procedures showing the requirements, time, and fees, involved for clients to get what they need.
Arta requires Citizen’s Charter to be displayed prominently in government service offices so that clients can easily check if they are being served according to proper standards. If they see any discrepancy between between what is stated in the charter and the actual experience that they had, they may air complaints through the agency’s PACD or via the Contact Center ng Bayan hotline 1-6565.
The Citizen’s Charter is also the basis of the ARTA Report Card Survey (ARTA-RCS). The ARTA-RCS is conducted to check the level of implementation in government service offices. It usually starts with what is stated in an agency’s charter. If the agency complies with the provisions of ARTA and with its own service commitment based on the charter, it will be able to pass the ARTA-RCS. If not, it may get a failing mark.
That is how central the Citizen’s Charter is in the implementation of ARTA. We are pleased to present to our client and stakeholders the second edition of our charter, updated based on the current services we are providing. We have included where details of each of our frontline service, including what office the client should go to, how many minutes a client might expect the transaction to be completed, and the exact amount a client should prepare for the availment of a service.
We hope that through the BISU Citizen’s Charter, we will continue to fulfill our commitment to a citizen-centered governance.
