PEZA wins 9 gold, 2 silver plaques at ARTA RCS Awards

Relentless in its commitment towards enhancing ease of doing business in the country, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) brought home 11 awards during the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s Report Card Survey (ARTA RCS) Awards recognition night last 30 October 2024 at the Conrad Hotel.

PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga expressed, “We are proud of this achievement which shows how reliable and dedicated every member of PEZA is in providing the best service to all its stakeholders. PEZA is a lean and mean organization where one PEZA employee caters to at least seven locator companies and we assure all our stakeholders that we will further our initiatives towards improving the overall business environment in the ecozones.”

“We are able to hand-hold and take good care of our investors through our one-stop shop facility—where all their business and building permits, including work visas can be issued alone by PEZA. We also offer a non-stop service as we provide 24x7 facilitation of import & export shipments in the ecozones. We remain true to our mantra of no red tape, only red-carpet treatment to our investors, which we have been implementing since day 1,” he added.

The ARTA RCS Awards were given to government agencies who successfully implemented the RCS 2.0 and performed excellently during the audit conducted by ARTA for the 1st cycle / 1st phase implementation in 2023. As mandated by Republic Act No. 11302 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, the RCS 2.0 assesses the efficiency and delivery of government services in the Philippines.

For this year, 12 PEZA offices were inspected and 11, including the Head Office and 10 zone offices nationwide, were recognized for their exemplary implementation of various ease of doing business measures as determined by the Report Card Survey (RCS).  The RCS is anchored on the following aspects of government service: (1) service delivery; (2) communications; (3) access and facilities; and, (4) payment and processes.

Silver Awardees

Two (2) PEZA zone offices were given a Very Satisfactory rating, which reflects strong client satisfaction and adherence to streamlined procedures, responsive service, and an overall commitment to improving government processes.

The First Philippine Industrial Park, under Zone Manager Allan P. Datahan, and the Mactan Economic Zone II, headed by Zone Manager Atty. Rufino Ranulfo V. San Juan IV, bagged Silver Awards for achieving a Very Satisfactory Rating of 94.65% and 92.87% respectively in the 2023 RCS 2.0.

Gold Awardees

Achieving an Excellent rating in the 2023 RCS 2.0, the PEZA Head Office and seven (7) PEZA offices brought home Gold for their ease of doing business implementation within their jurisdiction.

This rating signifies that the institution consistently meets and exceeds standards in service delivery, transparency, and efficiency, demonstrating a strong commitment to reducing bureaucratic delays and improving the ease of accessing government services.

The Carmelray Industrial Park I under Acting Zone Manager Rosemarie Olea led the Gold awardees with its overall RCS 2.0 rating of 98.92%. Following the suit, with an overall score of 97.66%, is Alviera Special Economic Zone headed by Acting Zone Manager Merlina Perez, and Robinsons Place Sta. Rosa led by Acting Zone Manager Melquiades Rentero with a 97.31% RCS 2.0 rating.

The PEZA Head Office also garnered an overall RCS 2.0 score of 97.07% followed by NYKTDG IT Park with 96.68% rating.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Light Industrial Park headed by Acting Zone Manager Dennis Enague achieved an overall RCS 2.0 score of 95.79% followed by Angeles Industrial Park, with a rating of 95.77%, and Northgate Cyberzone led by Acting Zone Manager Norman Victorioso, which garnered a score of 95.68%.

Top Performer Awardee

Out of 194 GOCCs surveyed, the PEZA zone office at the Anflo Industrial Estate—currently being headed by Acting Zone Manager Lulette Sanchez—landed on the Top 3 spot and was recognized for its remarkable implementation of ease of doing business measures in the zone.

Overall, PEZA was recognized by ARTA as the third Top Performing GOCC—Gold Award for garnering a score of 99.04% in its overall RCS 2.0 rating particularly for its Davao office.

PEZA Brand of Service

Since its inception in 1995, PEZA has implemented one-stop and non-stop shop services and no red-tape, only red-carpet treatment for investors and all its stakeholders. This unique brand of service has become its selling point in attracting the much-needed investments in the country. Being home to over 4,000 of the biggest foreign and domestic export-oriented enterprises, PEZA has proven that acquiring, fast and focused servicing and mentoring have been key hallmarks of its green lane services that ultimately results in foreign companies investing in and retaining their presence in the country.

True to this, PEZA’s ease of doing business measures were recognized by various international organizations including Bloomberg AiQ in 2023, citing PEZA as a unique factor for the Philippines in terms of FDI attraction, and the US Department of State which noted in its 2024 investment climate statement for the Philippines that, “PEZA has received positive feedback for its regulatory transparency, no red-tape policy, and one-stop shop for investors.”

DG Panga noted, "Our unwavering dedication towards providing the best service to investors and the public remains a top priority for us in PEZA. Under the able leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Acting Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque and alongside our partners like the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA) Secretary Frederick Go and ARTA, we shall employ a whole-of-government and industry approach to continue enhancing the ease of doing business in the country and ultimately achieve a more inclusive growth para sa Bagong Pilipinas.”