Ormoc leads Region 8 in e-governance

The LGU of Ormoc and DTI entered into a MOA on the LGU's integration to the Philippine Business Registry. Signing the MOA are (from left) DTI Provincial Director Desiderio P. Belas Jr., DTI Regional Director Cynthia Nieras, Mayor Eric C. Codilla and BOI Gov. Pelagio T. Ricalde. Assisting Mayor Codilla is Permits, Franchising and Licensing Chief Emilio G. Tingson.

ORMOC is one of the bright spots in the Philippines in electronic governance collaboration and convergence.” This was the statement contained in the speech of Trade Undersecretary Zenaida C. Maglaya read by Regional Director Cynthia R. Nierras during the 1^st Investment Conference (I-Con) on Oct. 19.

 

Maglaya was referring to the integration of Ormoc’s Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) to the Philippine Business Registry (PBR) which is a tool for seamless registration processes across national government agencies (NGA). It allows sole proprietors to register their business name instantly through a web-based system.

PBR is a one-stop shop for securing permits and licenses from NGAs like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Home Development Mutual Fund, Cooperative Development Authority, etc.

Partnership with private corporations will be established before yearend. Mayor Eric C. Codilla signed a memorandum of agreement with Nierras and Board of Investments Gov. Pelagio T. Ricalde effecting the integration of Ormoc’s BPLO to the PBR by the first quarter of next year.

Illustrating the convenience the system can bring, Nierras explained that businessmen will have the flexibility to register their business to the SSS online and secure a tax identification number using a laptop computer in the convenience of their office instead of going to the BIR.

Nierras praised Ormoc for leading the way to PBR connectivity, being the first local government unit (LGU) in Region 8 to integrate to the system. This didn’t come as a surprise for her considering Ormoc initiated the streamlining of business permits processing with the help of the German Development Agency.

The city has since become a model for replication of 51 towns in Region 8 while other LGUs in other parts of the country benchmarked with Ormoc. Emilio G. Tingson, chief of permits, licensing and franchising of Ormoc, also earned the moniker “Father of Streamlining.”

 

The BOI brought to Eastern Visayas the I-Con which was usually conducted in Cebu. Other activities that day were the recognition of the top 10 business taxpayers of Ormoc and the conferring of the Bagwis Awards to DTI certified establishments in West Coast Leyte. by Felix N. Codilla III

 (Issue of Oct. 17-23, 2011)