The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has called for a government-wide shift “from launching to locking in” as it opened the 2025 Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Convention, emphasizing the need to turn digital reforms into real, measurable improvements in public service.
Anchored on the theme “LEAD with EODB: Leveraging Efficiency, Accountability, and Digitalization for Ease of Doing Business,” the three-day convention held at Manila Hotel will run from Nov. 4-6, bringing together government leaders, private sector executives, and development partners to strengthen collaboration for faster, simpler, and more transparent governance.
“Friction remains the enemy”
In his opening message, ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez acknowledged that while the Philippines has made significant strides in digitalization, gaps still persist at the service counter.
“We are already digitalized. Yet every day, entrepreneurs still queue before sunrise for a two-minute signature,” he said.
ARTA’s Ease of Doing Business Reform Guidebook, developed with government and private sector partners, serves as a strategic roadmap aligned with the World Bank’s Business Ready framework.
Perez said technical working groups across 10 reform areas are now being convened to operationalize and monitor progress, beginning with quick wins and pilot sites.
“Guided by the President’s directive, our plan rests on three disciplines—efficiency, accountability, and digitalization,” Perez said.
Integrity pledge: A call to action
Perez concluded the event by leading participants in the Integrity and Transparency Pledge, where hundreds of attendees—representing government, private sector, academe, and civil society—stood and recited a unified vow to reject bribery and corruption.
“Integrity is not optional, and transparency is not negotiable,” Perez declared. “They are the foundation of good governance and the cornerstone of a just society.”
He urged all agencies and partners to act as “vigilant guardians of the public good,” reaffirming that the real test of reform lies in consistent implementation and measurable citizen impact.
Three-day convention highlights
The first day, themed “Efficient Governance for a Competitiveness-Ready Philippines,” featured a keynote by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, who underscored “integrity as the foundation of ease of doing business.”
Memoranda of Agreement were signed between ARTA, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Association of Government Internal Auditors (AGIA), and the Philippine Quality Award Foundation (PQAF).
Special messages were delivered by Senator Pia Cayetano, DTI Secretary Christina Frasco, and DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, highlighting governance efficiency as key to public trust and competitiveness.
The convention will close with the recognition of ARTA Champions and Ease of Doing Business Partners for innovation and service excellence.
About the convention
The Ease of Doing Business Convention gathered over 800 participants from national and local government agencies, private enterprises, foreign chambers, development partners, and the diplomatic corps.
It forms part of ARTA’s continuing commitment to make the Philippines a competitiveness-ready and future-ready nation, anchored on the principles of efficiency, accountability, and digitalization.
“Our task is to finish what we have begun—to convert digital systems into digital outcomes that citizens can feel.”
From paper to practice
The convention follows the Philippines’ presentation at the 2025 APEC CEO Summit in Korea, where President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reaffirmed the country’s commitment to global competitiveness.
“This proves that the challenge now shifts from launching to locking in,” Perez said.
He described this phase as the “norming stage” of the government’s EODB Roadmap 2025–2028, where reforms must be embedded into daily operations and inter-agency cooperation strengthened to reduce inefficiency, redundancy, and corruption.
“The common thread is not lack of effort—but friction,” he added, citing unnecessary steps, ambiguous rules, and systems that fail to interconnect.
ARTA will also launch the EODB Dashboard, integrating Electronic Complaints Management System (ECMS), Philippine Business Regulations Information System (PBRIS), and Anti-Red Tape Electronic Management Information System (ARTEMIS) to give decision-makers and the public real-time insights into reform performance.
On the final day, digital transformation will be highlighted as a catalyst for future-ready governance.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian will deliver the keynote, followed by the signing of agreements with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, PhilTower, Globe, IBPAP, Tony Blair Institute Philippines, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and chambers of commerce from Pampanga and Bulacan.
A fireside chat featuring regulators and industry leaders capped the session on efficiency reforms as drivers of investment growth.
The second day will focus on transparency and responsive service, led by Atty. Agnes Devanadera, President and CEO of Clark Development Corporation.
