Ocular Inspection

In strict compliance with the stipulations outlined in ARTA Memorandum Circular No. 2020-07, which delineates the guidelines governing the establishment of a Committee on Anti-Red Tape (CART) within the relevant agencies, as mandated by Republic Act No. 11032, more commonly referred to as the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018,” along with its accompanying Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), the university underwent a comprehensive reorganization of its CART structure.

The main duties of the committee are to ensure that the agency/department shall receive, respond to, and comply with the requirements of Republic Act 11032, its IRR and subsequent issuances by ARTA, as may be applicable and in coordination with the appropriate offices and units.

As the former administration of President Gregorio J. Rodis ended on April 20, 2023, and the administration of Dr. Ruby B. Santos-Matibag commenced on April 21, 2023, there was a new opportunity for the university to recalibrate its functioning through reorganization of the committee.

In order to help the incoming university president assemble a team of administrative designees who will proactively help achieve her development priorities and goals, the undersigned offers a courtesy resignation as the university's QMS Deputy, IQA Head, Chairperson of ARTA, Head of the Committee on Complaints, Freedom of Information (FOI) Officer, and the university's Document Controller, effective April 22, 2023.

With the approval of the courtesy resignation, all office records, supplies, and equipment are properly inventoried and safely kept, and turnover can be done to the next designee's desires. A proper orientation was also prepared to discuss the ongoing programs, projects, and activities (PAPs) that the new designees will need to see through completion, logistics, and routine operations, as well as other long-term and annual goals per our university roadmap.

On February 22, 2023, as part of efforts to improve the delivery of public services, the Office of the Executive Secretary’s Strategic Action and Response Office and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) under the Office of the President of the Philippines signed an agreement requiring government agencies to answer complaints endorsed by the CHED 8888, Presidential Action Center also known as 8888 Citizen Action Center (CAC) and the Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB) of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) within seventy two (72) hours. Under the said MOA, government agencies is be given seventy two (72) hours to respond otherwise, the Anti- Red Tape Authority (AR TA) and the 8888 Citizen Action Center (CAC) shall conduct investigation and, if necessary, after due process, shall file appropriate charges before the Office of the Ombudsman or the Civil Service Commission. With the signing of the MOA, 8888 CAC is now empowered to serve as a formal complainant to ARTA against unresponsive government institutions.

The main tasks of the committee is to conduct initial evaluation of the complaint, to verify the veracity of the complaint based on merit, to note and review the essential details regarding the complaints and endorsed complaint to the concerned officials or action unit/ office of the university who shall conduct a thorough inquiry and investigation and recommend action/s to the University President based on the results of the inquiry.

As the former administration of President Gregorio J. Rodis ended on April 20, 2023, and the administration of Dr. Ruby B. Santos-Matibag commenced on April 21, 2023, the need for reorganization of the Internal Complaints Committee is essential.

The main objective of the reorganization of the ICC is to ensure that complaints received from various official access channels provided by the University CART are sufficient in form and substance.

The main functions of the committee are the following:

a. Conduct initial evaluation of the complaint;

b. Verify the veracity of the complaint based on merit;

c. Note and review the essential details regarding the complaints, and

d. Endorse the verified complaint to the Internal Quality Audit (IQA) for proper issuance of Request for Action (RFA) to the concerned officials or action unit/office of the university, who shall take appropriate correction and corrective actions without undue delay, investigate and conduct a thorough inquiry and investigation using root cause analysis, implement the identified corrective action plan, and recommend action(s) to the University President based on the results of the inquiry.

As a government agency, Bataan Peninsula State University is mandated to take appropriate measures to promote transparency with regard to the manner of transacting with the public, with the objective of reducing red tape and expediting transactions in the government.

In compliance with section 8 (g) of the Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, and amended by section 9 (h) of the Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, which mandates all government agencies to establish their respective public assistance and complaint desks, the Campus Directors nominated their respective Campus Public Assistance and Complaint Desk Officer (PACDO) through the University CART, which was formalized through University Order No. 0160 issued on September 26, 2023.

To assist government agencies in fulfilling their legal obligations and providing transparent and efficient public services to our citizens, the Compliance Monitoring and Evaluation Office under the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) conducted an online orientation on the Report Card Survey 2.0 and the Harmonized Client Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) on June 20 and 22, 2023.

The said orientation aims to educate agencies about their compliance requirements under the Act and relevant ARTA issuances. It will also provide a platform to address any concerns or queries related to the implementation of the CSM and RCS 2.0.

The RCS is a holistic tool that measures the effectiveness of the Citizen’s Charter in reducing regulatory burdens and the impact of the human resource systems and programs in delivering efficient government services. The RCS shall also form part of the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan of all covered government agencies. Further, its results shall serve as a basis for the grant of incentives and awards for excellent service delivery. 

Pursuant to ARTA Memorandum Circular No. 2023-03 issued on 03 August 2023, all government agencies are required to conduct a massive information campaign against fixers and fixing. This campaign should include, among other methods of information dissemination, posting relevant provisions against fixers and the act of fixing, along with associated penalties, on the agency’s website and in prominent locations within their offices.

To ensure wide dissemination pursuant to RA 11032, the university supports the campaign through the issuance of University Memorandum No. 1605 issued on 10 November 2023, hereby instructing all offices to display/post Information and Education Communication (IEC) materials on the university website and in the most conspicuous places within the respective offices. IEC materials may be presented in various forms, including posters, tarpaulins, or digital modalities.

The presence of anti-fixing campaign materials is incorporated into the ARTA inspection and spot-checking monitoring tools, which are also integrated in the conduct of RCS 2.0.

All clients and university employees also are encouraged to report acts of fixing to the ARTA or any of the university’s feedback mechanisms’ access channels.

In accordance with Rule XI of Section 4 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act No. 11032, otherwise known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, the ARTA, through the Central Luzon Regional Field Office (RFO), is mandated to monitor and evaluate the compliance of government agencies covered, as specified in Section 3 of the Act.

To prepare the academic community on the spot checks, the university president issued University Memorandum No. 1419 on 12 October 2023. As such, all offices are hereby advised to prepare for an on-site inspection through necessary documents and practices in place.

The spot checks/monitoring was commenced by a courtesy call to Prof. Reynan P. Calderon, the executive secretary to the Office of the University President. Discussion on the brief overview and the salient features of RA 11032 was also conducted. The University CART also nominated at least two (2) internal/external services in the university to be subjected to the spot-monitoring inspection. The nominated services are the request of Transcript of records (TOR) under the Office of the Registrar and the borrowing of books under the Library and Information Services.

The university president attended the post-conference together with select employees/heads of the nominated offices/services. The inspection team and the university president had a short meeting and discussion on the compliances of Republic Act 11032. After meeting, the team discussed the summary of findings and recommendations for the university’s initial reference and further clarification. 

In addition, Ms. Manabat also discussed some acts considered violations in the Republic Act 11032. Ms. Manabat also stressed the penalties and liabilities under Republic Act 11032.

She mentioned further that criminal liability shall also be incurred through the commission of bribery or extortion or when the violation was done deliberately and maliciously to solicit favor in cash or in kind. In such cases, the pertinent provisions of the Revised Penal Code and other special laws shall apply.

After discussion of the summary of findings, recommended action, violations, and penalties under RA 11032, Ms. Manabat stressed that the university shall submit the action plan with timelines of activities to resolve the findings and recommendations discussed in the compliance monitoring checklist within seven (7) working days upon receipt or on or before 31 October 2023 through email.

Finally, Ms. Manabat emphasizes that as per Section 8 of Republic Act No. 11032, which holds the heads of the office or agency to be primarily responsible for the implementation of RA 11032 and accountable to the public by rendering fast, efficient, convenient, and reliable services.

The ARTA Inspection Team provided the university with a copy of the Compliance Monitoring Checklist, which was received and signed by the University President, Dr. Ruby B. Santos-Matibag.

One of the primary responsibilities of the recently reconstituted University Committee on Anti-Red Tape (CART) is the establishment and management of a public assistance complaint desk, known as the CART Helpdesk. This facility is designed to efficiently receive complaints and feedback and monitor customer satisfaction through various channels, including hotline numbers, short messaging services (SMS), information and communication technology, and other mechanisms that allow clients to express their concerns, comments, and suggestions adequately.

In 2023, the CART itself conducted a reassessment of the existing guidelines for handling complaints to develop a more scientific method of data collection and interpretation. Before the approval of the current guidelines, there was no unified feedback mechanism within the university, resulting in complaints being directly sent to government agencies by complainants. Such complaints could have been better communicated internally within the university's authority as an initial step before considering external escalation. However, the new system does not preclude external communication if the complainant is dissatisfied with the internal resolution.

Recognizing the need for a structured complaint and feedback flow, the undersigned has emphasized ensuring that every legitimate complaint receives prompt attention. Consequently, Mr. Salaveria, upon accepting his academic designation as the head of the CART, conceptualized a feedback and complaint desk to address stakeholders' and clients' concerns, suggestions, and recommendations. The Client Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) content is grounded in the provisions of RA 1032 for enhanced data interpretation upon collection. Following the development of this concept, Mr. Salaveria proposed guidelines for a harmonized CSM and feedback mechanism for the university. These guidelines were initially presented to the Administrative Council for critique and suggestions for improvement. Subsequently, the proposal received approval through Board Resolution No. 045, series of 2023, during the 83rd Regular Meeting of the Board of Regents on July 5, 2023, at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) central office in Quezon City.

The new complaint desk and feedback mechanism at BPSU include specific protocols for preserving clients' concerns and complaints. The guidelines stipulate that only CART officers can access the drop/feedback boxes, ensuring that no other offices can alter the clients' responses, thereby maintaining the integrity of the feedback process.

The launch of the Harmonized CSM and Feedback Mechanism will enable the university to assess the overall satisfaction and perception of its services by clients. This initiative will provide valuable insights into service quality and support the university's continuous improvement efforts, which are elaborated on in the following pages.

Furthermore, the university will more effectively address complaints, comments, and suggestions from clients and stakeholders directly. The establishment of a feedback hotline aims to reduce the volume of complaints directed to external bodies such as CHED 8888, the Presidential Action Center (8888 Citizen Action Center), and the Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB) of the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

The respondents of the Client Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) survey form shall be all customers, clients, or claimants, whether internal or external, who have directly completed the transaction with or have availed of the services offered by any of the offices of the University. Clients who completed multiple transactions shall have the opportunity to complete the CSM survey form for each availed service. Please note that a transaction is considered complete when the final step of the service availed of per the Citizen’s Charter of the University is accomplished.

To maximize the response rates, the University shall implement the CSM survey form using various data-gathering methods to the greatest extent feasible. 

• For on-site and face-to-face transactions, the on-site conduct of the CSM may be done through a paper survey questionnaire. The university shall provide electronic platforms such as Google Form links and QR codes to access the CSM survey forms by the respondents. The Client Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) survey form shall be handed to clients by the respective office's assigned employee/staff upon completion of the service.

For persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, senior citizens, and otherclients who need assistance, a designated staff/personnel per office or the designated Public Assistance and Complaint Desk Officer (PACDO) per campus shall help the respondents in answering the CSM Survey Form.

• For online transactions, the Client Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) survey form will also be provided by the University through electronic platforms such as electronic mail, the University website, social media, QR codes, or other similar modes that are accessible to clients to enable the University to streamline report generation and save funds from the reduced distribution of hard copies.

Across the six (6) campuses of BPSU, a total of 15 suggestion/feedback boxes were put in place. Supposedly, all suggestion boxes must be placed in visible areas such as frontline offices to encourage clients to provide their concerns and feedback. Each campus PACDO is responsible for the positioning of the suggestion/feedback boxes. Three (3) suggestion/feedback boxes each were disseminated in the Abucay, Main, and Orani campuses. Meanwhile, two (2) boxes each for the Balanga, Bagac Extension, and Dinalupihan campuses.