Mindanao cities tapping technology to cut red tape

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A few city governments under the US-funded Transparency Accountable Governance project have started tapping information and communications technology to reduce red tape, project consultant Ronnie V. Amorado said in an interview. Mr. Amorado said some covered city governments in Mindanao, specifically General Santos City, Island Garden City of Samal and Surigao City, have started implementing computer-based programs that cut bureaucratic red tape. The project covers the following cities in Mindanao: Butuan, Samal, Iligan, Malaybalay, Oroquieta, Panabo, Surigao, Tacurong, Zamboanga, Dipolog, Ozamis, Koronadal, Cotabato, Dapitan, Marawi, and Gen. Santos. "If we can institutionalize these programs in all of the 16 cities, then it will be a big impact on their systems," said Mr. Amorado, noting that computerizing their systems has allowed these cities to grow their revenues and attract more investors. Cleto B. Gales Jr., Island Garden City of Samal city administrator, said the local government has already established a procurement system that is nearly paperless. The city government also offers a tracking system for ordinances designed for citizens, development planners and researchers. Mr. Gales said the city government will continue to find ways to improve its systems through computerization because this will not only improve its revenue collection, but should also result in a more efficient systems with minimized corruption. Mr. Amorado admitted there are still city governments that are hesitant to tap technology because they consider it an expense with no clear returns. "But we told them that they have to think of this as an investmentto address red tape," he said, pointing out that by cutting red tape, every peso that a taxpayer pays goes to the coffers of the city government. Mr. Amorado added that the anti-corruption project has also pushed constituencies of the 16 cities in the project to intensify their participation in governance, although he said that there has yet been no study on the magnitude of the impact. Funded primarily by the Asia Foundation and the US Agency for International Development, with the Mindanao Business Council as the implementing arm, the project was first implemented in seven Mindanao cities but has been expanded to include nine new cities. The project fosters coordination among the city government, local business and civil society to formulate policies to curb red tape and corruption. — C. Q. Francisco, Businessworld