Category: Service Quality

The Computerized Mining Cadastre System (CMCS) of Mongolia is a web-based, GIS-enabled system for obtaining, managing, monitoring, and storing real-time information on mineral licensing activities in the country with the purpose of enhancing transparency and improving administrative procedures and services to clients in the mining sector.

Background and Problem

The commitment of the Mongolian government in promoting transparency and good governance can be traced as early as its ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2005. Since then, the government exerted significant efforts to pass policies related to good governance, moving as far as committing to international treaties such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in 2006 and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2013. The Mongolian government recognizes that transparency in operations related to the use of natural resources is not entirely exercised, therefore limiting the capacity and opportunities of the public to monitor and make such operations accountable. It also did not help that management of mining licenses only used “a handwritten-ledger license register” that functions on a first-come-first-served basis and was highly vulnerable to human discretion.

Solution and Impact

Recommendations from successive reports of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) prompted a series of resource management reforms supported by the World Bank. Among these reforms was the Computerized Mining Cadastre System (CMCS) project lodged under the Governance Assistance Program (GAP), which allows the supervision, development, equipping, and implementation of a fully-computerized mining registry and cadastre system. The CMCS establishes a more transparent platform to grant, manage, and cancel permits. It delivers reliable mining information on the location of mining and exploration rights, protected areas and special-needs areas in the country, and restricts the authority of officials in distributing rights.

It retains the first-come-first-served policy embodied in the Minerals Law of 1997 and regulates the social, safety, and environmental obligations of license holders. In effect, the system is able to improve the transparency and regulatory capacity of the MRA, not to mention develop the quality and efficiency of processing licenses and prevent overlapping of these licenses with each other and those areas excluded for mining titling. To complement these advances, the Cadastre Division of the Mineral Resources Authority of Mongolia (MRAM), which manages the operation of the cadastre system, benefits from institutional strengthening interventions like training activities and legal advices on the enrichment of the overall framework that is guided by the new Minerals Law.

Milestones

The enactment of the Law on Common Minerals in 2014 led to the upgrade of the CMCS through the incorporation of a web-based and GIS-enabled information system that allowed provincial administrations (Aimag) to also manage mining applications and licenses. The upgraded CMCS permits real-time communication between MRAM and provincial administrations, thereby accelerating coordination between national and local government administrations for mining resource management and regulation. Furthermore, it gave birth to a web portal that disseminates real-time cadastre information available for public use and adopts a more client-friendly approach in service by allowing users to track the status of applications, identify areas free for applications, check overlaps, and retrieve information about tenders.

The Community Rehabilitation Programme is a collaborative initiative of the Malaysian Prison Department and the Armed Forces of Malaysia under the National Blue Ocean Strategy that focuses in addressing prison overcrowding in the country by means of transferring and reforming prisoners eligible for early release in community rehabilitation centers that are built on idle lands of military camps in just six months.

Background and Problem

Prisons around the globe have a certain distinction that mirrors a society’s approach to criminals. There are the restorative prisons, such as the ones found in Norway, Netherlands, and Germany, which follow humane, international standards for the treatment of prisoners, and then there are the less reformative and [arguably] more punitive prisons as portrayed by sardine-packed cells and unhygienic facilities which feed more to the violent culture inside these institutions and dilute aspirations for conversion and second lease at life of convicts.

In Malaysia, the latter speaks so much about the state of prisons and the living conditions of inmates. With over 50,000 prisoners serving jail terms all over the country, it was estimated that 20 out of the 30 state prisons are congested. In Pengkalan Chepa Prison, for example, the 2,900 inmates in the institution far outnumber the 1,500-people capacity of the place. The issue of overcrowding of prisons has slowly gained attention in recent years, and the ministry has already taken rehabilitation interventions and other related actions to address the problem.

Solution and Impact

To counter the growing problem of prison overcrowding and the corresponding demand to build more prisons, the Malaysian government improvised the Community Rehabilitation Programme (CRP) under its National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS), all the while bearing in mind other important considerations such as reducing repeat-offenders (reducing recidivists), increasing job opportunities for inmates, improving living conditions of inmates, and guiding inmates for strategic reintegration into society. As with other initiatives under NBOS, the CRP adopts an out-of-the-box approach in developing a solution to prison overcrowding.

Through collaborative work between the Malaysian armed forces and other agencies, the project targets prisoners eligible for early release or offenders under supervision (ODS) as beneficiaries of the CRP; these ODS will be reformed in community in rehabilitation centers set up in idle lands of military camps. Camps hosting the centers are Mahkota Kluang Camp in Johor, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Camp in Alor Setar, Kedah; Syed Sirajudin Camp in Gemas, Negri Sembilan; Desa Pahlawan Camp in Kota Baru, Kelantan; Batu 10 Camp in Kuantan, Pahang and Paradise Camp in Kota Belud, Sabah.

Put together, they can accommodate 1,650 ODS. With the community rehabilitation centers in place, the CRP offered high-value vocational training to ODS in the areas of agriculture and fisheries, automotive, electrical, food preparation, and reflexology to arm them with skills that will make them employable and will prevent them from returning to a life of crime. There are also other programs offered related to religious and spiritual growth, family counseling, sports, and culture. All centers comply with international standards as set by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 (3) and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, Rules 65-66. A total of 8,200 ODS have been released through the CRP since it began in 2011. Malaysia Prisons Department statistics suggest that overall, about 9% of prisoners in Malaysia were repeat-offenders, but through the program, this has been reduced to 0.3%.

The CRP also performed well in terms of increasing job opportunities for ODS given that 89.94% of inmates who were beneficiaries of the program become employed and self-employed. Even in terms of time and cost benefits, the CRP proves to be worthy because it is time-efficient and economical. A prison with a 1,700-person capacity requires RM 250-300 million for construction and need five years to be built. With CRP, the project proponents do not need to purchase land and set up centers only require about RM 30 million which may be built in six months, allowing them to save up to 85% in construction expenses.

Milestones

The first community rehabilitation center of the CRP was set up in Mahkota Camp in Johor in 2011. Shortly thereafter, five more camps were built with similar functions and another one is being considered to be set up in Sarawak. Malaysia continues to be at the forefront of prisoner rehabilitation through the CRP. As one of the countries with the lowest recidivism rates in the world, it has gained international interests from other countries such as Fiji. There have also been learning excursions conducted with various international delegates to help them understand this Malaysian model of prisoner rehabilitation.

The Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS) is a low-cost, open-source electronic medical record (EMR) system designed and developed for government health facilities. This system facilitates the responsiveness of public health decision-making and the improvement of effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of healthcare services by local government units (LGUs).

Background and Problem

Since the 1990s, public health institutions have recognized the critical role of health information systems (HIS) in delivering prompt and effective health services, developing sound health policies and programs, and making informed decisions for setting public health agenda. Unfortunately, existing HIS at the time were mostly manual (paper-based) systems that required data aggregation at several levels of the health system, which made health data prone to delay, manipulation, and human error. Further aggravating these concerns in HIS was the fragmentation of the healthcare delivery system in the Philippines due to the devolution of healthcare from a monolithic health system into several independent health systems.

Solution and Impact

The Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS), as the first homegrown EMR system in the Philippines, employs an open-source, user-friendly, modular, and extensible system that enables automation of core processes in health centers and thereby contributes to the effective and efficient delivery of services. As a digital health application, CHITS helps health centers and rural health units (RHUs) in improving the delivery of health services by facilitating efficient data entry and storage through secure access of records by healthcare workers, expediting patient record retrieval, and minimizing waiting time of patients in clinics and RHUs. It helps health program managers and local chief executives with resource allocation strategies and organizational development by helping project patient load and understanding the usage of resources. Likewise, it provides a more efficient system for appointment and follow-up scheduling and, on a broader scale, a more responsive means of monitoring the health of the community through the data it accrues daily. Additionally, because CHITS facilitates timely entry of data at the local level, it has become easier for municipal and city health offices (M/CHOs) to generate the necessary health reports they will integrate into the Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS), the official reporting and recording system of the Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines. The availability of updated, on-the-ground information from RHUs allows them to employ inter-health center integration within their jurisdiction in order to better track patients. This integration of community health data allows them to project logistical needs, which in turn enables them to efficiently and more effectively allocate supplies and human resources at the local level. Moreover, CHITS enhances their capability to regularly review the health of communities and detect possible outbreaks.

Nationally, CHITS is electronically connected to the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) offices. This makes it easier for the DOH and related health institutions to receive and integrate reliable and up-to-date data from the local health facilities, which then helps improve the quality and timeliness of FHSIS reports and makes for better integration of data into various health programs. Through CHITS, the data from the communities is provided to DOH in a timely fashion and allows DOH to better monitor the implementation status of health programs and administrative performances of local offices. Aggregation of available health data according to required formats becomes uncomplicated. As for PHIC-related needs, CHITS was one of the earliest EMRs certified by PHIC and has been submitting claims to PHIC electronically as per directive since 2016.

Milestones

CHITS started as a research project on computer-based information systems at the University of the Philippines Manila (UP Manila) in 2004. At the time, it was only being implemented in two health centers in Pasay City. By the end of 2010, there were already 50 health centers across the country— from Batanes (Northern Philippines) all the way to the Zamboanga Peninsula (Southern Philippines)— that have begun using CHITS for their government health facilities. In 2011, CHITS expanded its features to include Real-Time Monitoring of Maternal, Child Health, and Governance Indicators (rCHITS), a tool that attempts to improve health information system management in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA). In 2012, CHITS revised its base system by adopting the more internationally known Open Medical Records System (OpenMRS). It also started using a mobile reporting tool and an LGU dashboard to improve the collection, storage, and analysis of health data from communities. At the time, there were already 208 local health facilities using CHITS. In 2014, through the support of a non-government organization extending funding for Philippine government eHealth projects, rCHITS was able to integrate a mobile midwife platform that can capture aggregate patient data at the barangay level and send patient alerts through Synchronized Patient Alert via SMS. The RxBox, a telemedicine device used for diagnosing common medical problems and is one of the products by the UPM-NTHC, also uses CHITS in a store-and-forward capacity.

In 2015, other innovations such as the Mag-ina Telereferral System (MInTS) were conceptualized and incorporated. The MInTS facilitates access to healthcare facilities that provide life-saving services for pregnancy and delivery by tracking referral requests when parturient mothers need to be transferred from a BEMONC facility (lying-in clinic) to a CEMONC facility (tertiary hospital) for more specialized care. In 2016, the UPM-NTHC continued to expand the geographical coverage of CHITS through city-wide partnerships with Quezon City, Pasay City, and Navotas City. By then, it had expanded to 251 sites across the country. In the same year, the CHITS software program was enhanced and upgraded into a CHITS version 3 to cater to new health sector protocols and reportorial requirements of the DOH. Several new DOH modules such as the Mental Health, HIV/AIDS, Adolescents, and Senior Citizens programs were added to the core modules as a result. It was also in 2016 when CHITS became one of the first EMRs to receive the PHIC certification for electronic Primary Care Benefits (PCB) claims submission. In 2018, this feature was expanded to include the electronic claims (eClaims) submission protocol for other cases for PHIC reimbursement at the primary care level. To date, there are 171 active CHITS-using health facilities in the country. As the UPM-NTHC continues to design, develop, test, and implement innovations in health information systems for improving the delivery of healthcare services, CHITS has continued to adopt newer standards and innovations. At present, CHITS has become a framework for other novelties such as incorporating a newborn hearing screening module for the Healing for Life project in 2017 and as part of a multi-component health information exchange ecosystem for X-linked Dystonia Parkinsonism patients in 2018.

The Central Communications and Emergency Response Center (Davao City Central 911) is a 24/7 local emergency response system of the Davao City Local Government Unit established to provide a centralized and integrated system that links the government’s resources to promote immediate, effective, and coordinated delivery of emergency response services.

Background and Problem

The history of Davao City Central 911 can be traced back to 1997 when the City Government of Davao and the Davao Light and Power Company undertook a partnership to put up the Davao City Street Lighting Project which mobilized lighting of the streets and alleys of Davao City to curb the rising incidence of crime during the period. The lighting project worked under the assumption that crime and criminality breed under a culture of darkness, hence, the project was designed to promote a sense of security in the city. A breakthrough feature of the project was its proficiency at accurately defining the exact location of light poles through the Power-One program, a Geographic Information System (GIS) that the company developed. Former Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte deemed such technology a “potent instrument” to aggressively fight criminality and so in the next few years, the Davao City Government and Davao Light continued working together to further develop the project and integrate Davao Light’s GIS in the LGU’s campaign for a more peaceful and orderly city.

Solution and Impact

When Davao City Central 911 was finally set up in 2002, it was designed as a call-and-dispatch center that connected assistance-needing residents with its own emergency resources through the existence of five operational units, namely: Emergency Calls Answering Point and Dispatch (ECAP-D), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), Fire Auxiliary Services (FAS), and K9 unit. The integrated system for safety and security under the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) paved for the installation of about 190 surveillance cameras in various points to monitor crimes and accidents and to manage traffic situations. The residents’ mobile access to Central 911 was facilitated through the LGU’s partnership with telecommunication companies such as the Philippine Long-Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Bayantel, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and Sun Cellular. In the same year, Central 911 was also successful in upgrading Davao Light’s GIS software so that it already fits the technological requirements of Davao LGU for its peace and order campaign. The Emergency Calls Answering Point and Dispatch, at that point, can already facilitate tracking both the locations of distress calls and the nearest responders. It also added features for capturing, storing, and recalling data in an electronic database. Through the integration of all available emergency resources into one emergency response system, the LGU ensured faster delivery of emergency services and reporting of crime incidents in the city. Residents in need of assistance were able to immediately summon responders to the scene of the emergency. They were also given a platform where they can participate in government programs promoting peace and order.

Milestones

The Central 911 facility started with only 34 mobile units and an in-service contact center for the enforcement of laws in 2002. A year after it was launched, it added to its ensemble its own Emergency Medical Services Unit, Urban Search and Rescue Unit, Fire Auxiliary Services Unit ,and K-9 Unit. Incremental improvements in unit equipment and personal capacity were consistently provided throughout the years. Central 911 has also started engaging in the regular conduct of training in all barangays to encourage officials in installing disaster risk reduction measures in support of the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Committee (BDRRMC) and the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DCDRRMO). In 2018, Central 911 introduced a mobile application that can assist patients seeking emergency care to keep track of ambulance responding to their calls. However, this was temporarily deactivated pending the development of a New Generation 911 Mobile Application.

The Balik-Manggagawa Online Processing System is an online facility that allows vacationing Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to apply and secure Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) or exit clearance at their own time and convenience, without needing to queue in at Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or Philippine Overseas Labor and Office (POLO) centers.

Background and Problem

The Overseas Employment Certificate or OEC is a document that declares the regularity of recruitment and documentation of an Overseas Filipino Worker. The OFW usually presents this certificate to the immigration officer at the airport when he or she exits the Philippines. Before, vacationing OFWs consider it a nuisance to secure OEC at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) because OEC application and processing demands lining up for hours or an entire day. This situation turns to worse during peak seasons, when OFWs return to the country to spend Christmas holidays or to attend graduation ceremonies of loved ones, as they are forced to endure incredibly long lines at POEA. According to the Department of Labor and Employment, around 7,000 OFWs flock to POEA and POLO centers every day during peak seasons applying for OEC.

Solution and Impact

To decongest the POEA office from the influx of client OFWs and to better the quality and efficiency of its frontline services, the Department of Labor and Employment  and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration  collaborated to launch the Balik-Manggagawa (BM) Online System that will focus on expediting the application and processing of OECs by allowing its users to make relevant OEC transactions such as applying for and paying for the OEC fee, setting an OEC appointment, and requesting for OEC exemption via the BM website. The BM Online System is part of the e-Services offered by the POEA. It is open to OFWs on vacation, rehired, or returning to the same employer abroad with existing records in the POEA database. The cost of securing the certificate is PhP119.50. Those without POEA record, under POEA watchlist, have undocumented status, have a change in employer or job site, or who are returning to a restricted country are not qualified for straight online processing and will be redirected to the Appointment Page to choose a schedule and venue for regular processing.

This new system for securing OEC allows returning OFWs to maximize the time and fruits of their vacation in the Philippines without the hassle of having to line up or appear before a POEA or POLO officer to apply for their OEC. They will also experience less strain during their pre-departure at the airport since they will no longer have to go to the Labor Assistance Counter (LAC) to register their personal information. This means that they will no longer need to wait until they are cleared for departure or submit travel documents. Better still, they will be less likely to miss their flight because of overseas employment verification issues.

Milestones

The system had a soft launch in August 2014. By the end of that year, the system had already issued 78,000 OECs to OFWs and accommodated 11,000 more for straight online processing. In 2015, the number of people issued with OECs peaked at 153,152. In the same year, POEA announced that the processing of all OECs would be strictly based on an online appointment. The BM Online Processing System also started operating in 13 POEA regional offices and 4 POLO centers. Top implementers of the system were POEA-Ortigas, POEA Region 7, POEA field offices in Trinoma Mall, Duty Free, and SM Manila, POEA Region 1, POEA Region 3, POEA Region 4-A, POEA-Cordillera Administrative Region, and POEA Region 11. In 2015, the BM online system was adopted by POLO in Singapore, Dubai, Israel, and Macau.

Through POEA’s BM online team, site administrators and evaluators in overseas posts were able to undergo training on the BM online system to expedite the full implementation of the system at the POLO level. In 2016, DOLE declared qualifications for exempting OFWs from OEC requirement through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Governing Board Resolution Number 12 (POEA GB Resolution No, 12, Series of 2016). Under the resolution, OFWs returning to the same employer and job site with existing records at the POEA database as well as those hired through the Government Placement Branch can be exempted from being required to submit OEC, provided that the returning OFW will register first through the BM online facility before departure. OFWs not exempted from the requirement would still be directed to the BM online webpage to register again and set an appointment at their preferred processing center.

Summary

The Aklan Consignment System (ACS) was conceptualized in 2014 in response to the growing need of essential, affordable and quality medicines in local hospitals under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Government of Aklan. It was initiated by the Economic Enterprise Development Department (EEDD) to improve on the existing consignment system of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental. A more decentralized system was installed by organizing the Hospital Consignment Committees (HCCs) in the different government hospitals across the province. Under a decentralized consignment scheme, the old, circuitous bureaucratic processes are eliminated allowing hospital management to readily respond to the needs of clients.

Background and Problem

The inadequate availability of medicines pervaded in the hospitals was caused by the tedious procurement process. In five years, the ACS aims to achieve the following objectives:

  1. Enable easy access to essential, affordable and quality medicine, particularly for indigent patients;
  2. Boost compliance to the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy of Philhealth;
  3. Improve client satisfaction
  4. Reduce appropriations and operational expenses in hospitals
  5. Generate additional revenues for hospitals

Solution and Impact

Government hospitals in Aklan have been beset with logistical and operational problems due to inadequate supplies of essential medicine largely due to budgetary constraints. The ACS was conceptualized in response to the growing need to improve the delivery of health care services. After benchmarking the consignment system of Negros Occidental, a technical working group was organized, comprised of representatives from the EEDD, accounting department, and health department in order to formulate the proposed ordinance, implementing rules and regulations and other documentary requirements. The following activities were undertaken:

  • A series of engagements conducted in hospitals to cascade the operational details of consignment.
  • Pharmacists and other hospital staff dispatched to Negros Occidental to obtain first-hand information on the implementing details.
  • The technical working group constituted to craft the implementing rules and regulations.
  • The Hospital Therapeutics Committee was activated and mobilized to identify medicines to be consigned, preferably those that are fast moving.
  • The Consignment Advisory Committee was constituted and the Hospital Consignment Committee was organized in each hospital.
  • A monitoring scheme was installed through the Consignment Inspection Team/Committee.

Results

  • The availability of essential medicine was sustained
  • The ACS was instrumental for the hospital to comply with the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy of Philhealth
  • Client satisfaction improved
  • Out of pocket expenses have been remarkably reduced
  • Hospital operational expenses and appropriations was reduced

Milestones

  • Increased hospital revenues with a net balance of Php 56.3 M from a seed money of Php 12.5M
  • Improved compliance to NBB from 42% in 2016 to 83% in the first semester of 2019
  • Sustained availability of essential drugs, medicines and supplies in hospital pharmacies
  • Improved client satisfaction

Next steps

  • Consignment of laboratory supplies
  • Consignment of radiology supplies
  • Establishment of satellite pharmacy in Doctor Rafael S. Tumbukon Memorial Hospital dedicated for consigned medicines
  • Consignment of oxygen supply
  • Encourage multinational drug companies as registered consignors under the ACS to further decrease the cost of drugs and medicines in hospitals

Summary

Women empowerment is one of the key advocacies of OVP. The OVP’s Angat Buhay program promotes gender equality through advancing women’s active participation in generating income for themselves and their families. OVP supports them to pursue entrepreneurial initiatives through a process that identifies aspiring women entrepreneurs and provides them with a combination of seed grants and technical assistance to achieve their entrepreneurial potential. Since last year, we took the intervention to the next level by completing the entire project cycle. Utilizing the Community-based Mode of Procurement in accordance with R.A. 9184, the OVP is now purchasing products from these aspiring women entrepreneurs. This enables us to support our Angat Buhay communities economically while also promoting their respective cultural heritage as their products center around indigenous weaves and crafts.

Background and Problem

Women and their economic contributions often go unrecognized. However, the fight against poverty can only be won when women are capacitated to generate income for themselves and their families are provided with equal access to resources in doing so. By enabling more women to pursue entrepreneurship through a more favorable supporting environment, both social and economic benefits are generated for themselves and their communities. For front liners, helping aspiring women entrepreneurs has always been one of our focus areas as we recognize the importance of economic freedom in the fight for gender justice. Meanwhile, several of our administrative and support staff attended the Public Procurement Specialist Certification Course (Level 1) as part of the OVP’s efforts to streamline our procurement process and enhance the culture of fiscal prudence. These two initiatives converged as our Procurement Team undertook the alternative mode of procurement to purchase products by our aspiring women entrepreneurs to serve as ceremonial tokens, instead of sourcing from usual providers.

Solution and Impact

The women economic empowerment program is loosely patterned after the 7 M’s framework in developing women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines: Mindset Change, Mastery, Mentoring, Money, Machine, Market Access, Models of Business. Community-based procurement is included under Market Access. The program also engages institutional partners involved in business registration to ensure that aspiring entrepreneurs learn about basic rules in business processes. These include the Social Security System (SSS), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), Philippine Health and Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). One of the key issues for sustainability is market linkage. In other programs, technical assistance and financial grants are provided and then beneficiaries are expected to sell their own products. As our women’s economic empowerment program serves the complete product cycle, it includes providing supplementary market linkage through community-based procurement. However, the intervention does not promote dependence as we also focus on linking our communities with social enterprises or local stores and businesses to ensure that they are able to service a long-term market.

Milestones

In 2018, we were able to procure the following products from our Angat Buhay Communities:

  • Malaybalay’s Choice Handicrafts (Malaybalay, Bukidnon) – Abaca placemats and backpacks with indigenous weaves.
  • Yakan Weaver Community (Lamitan, Basilan) – Yakan fabric placemats and table runners with indigenous weaves.
  • Kiangan (Kiangan, Ifugao) Pasalubong Producers Association – Ikat placemat with indigenous weaves

For 2019, the OVP will continue the practice of availing locally made products such as piña-woven barongs from Aklan and other ceremonial tokens made by participants from both the Visayas and Mindanao-leg of the Angat Buhay Workshop for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs.

Summary

The Mechanized Production System (MePS) of the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) is a new technology in repacking family food packs (FFPs) intended for the disaster-affected families. The MePs is a Php 58 Million project by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the United Nations – World Food Programme with the support of the United Kingdom Government inaugurated on September 30, 2015 and has been operational ever since. The National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau envisions to maintain the quality of its products and services and because of the collaborative effort of the Bureau, this process has acquired its ISO 9001:2015 certification last December 2018.

Background and Problem

Typhoon Haiyan operations served as a learning curve by the department in managing its repacking activities. During this time, the Department was overwhelmed with the number of donations received and the number of volunteers who would like to help in the repacking activities. This resulted in some inefficiencies in the repacking operations and has a direct effect in the overall disaster operations. As the main augmenter of FFPs to the field offices, manual production has a limited number of outputs per day. It is for this reason that the DSWD acquired this technology to assure its beneficiaries that FFPs will be efficiently delivered within the 24-48-hour timeframe.

Solution and Impact

The MePs is one of the results of the strategic partnership between the DSWD and WFP aimed at enhancing the emergency response capacity in the Philippines. With the installation of the mechanized production system, the production rate of family food packs has reached 50,000 packs in a day which is enough to feed 250,000 people for three days. In fact, the DSWD saw the usefulness of the machine during the last strong typhoons when the Department was able to deliver almost immediately family food packs to Filipinos in need because the system of preparing them was very efficient and mechanized. It has also introduced the innovative way of packing goods from plastic to boxes which is now more convenient and environment friendly. The mechanized production system is composed of equipment which automates and streamlines the production of family food packs (FFPs) so the DSWD can quickly and efficiently provide relief resources to local government units (LGUs) around the country. The machinery also increases the production capacity of the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) from 20,000 FFPs to 100,000 FFPs per day using both the manual and mechanized production mechanisms. These FFPs contain food enough to feed more than 500,000 people for three days. The mechanized system has also been proven to be effective in calamities. Since its installation in September 2015, out of the total 1,752,069 food packs distributed by the NROO to disaster survivors, some 1,086,081 FFPs were produced using the mechanized production mechanism alone. It continues to help the DSWD augment resources to its regional hubs and LGUs across the country. Aside from the mechanized production feature of the NROC, a pallet racking system was also installed to improve the accessibility, mobility and tracking of goods inside the NROC warehouses. It also increased the NROC’s warehouse capacity by 189.4%.

Milestones

The MePS has a significant impact in the daily operations of the National Resource Operations Center. Its presence assured the center to have a stockpile of 100,000 Family Food Packs daily. It is for this reason also that the National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau was awarded as ISO 9001:2015 certified last December 2018 amidst its disaster operations, getting its another feather on its hat as the first government mechanized repacking facility in Asia to be given such certification.

Summary

The Ibayaw Way of BOSS Joint Inspection Team was initiated by the Business One Stop Shop under the Administrator’s Office. This is to comply with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s pronouncement during his inaugural speech on June 30, 2016 and State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25, 2016 for all government agencies to reduce the requirements and processing time of all government transactions. An innovation in which the BOSS serves as the Secretariat. The Best Practice started in 2017.

Background and Problem

The objectives of The Ibayaw Way of BOSS Joint Inspection Team of the Local Government Unit of Bayawan City are:

  1. To identify the businesses in the barangays
  2. To develop a database in each barangay
  3. All business permit applicants shall comply with national laws and regulatory requirements.
  4. To verify information declared by the businessmen in the application for business permit
  5. Identify unregistered businesses
  6. To help the constituents to understand their participation in business and non-business opportunities

It has been found out that many indulged into business but do not have Business permits. Some of the businesses just paid the required obligation but were not able to complete the cycle in getting the required permit. Bayawan City has a total land area of 699.08 square kilometers, consisting of 28 barangays. There are only 7 urban barangays and 21 rural barangays.

Solution and Impact

The program provides awareness to everyone, to the members of the Joint Inspection Team, as well as the Local Government itself. The Liga ng Barangay helps facilitate the business owners’ concerns of their respective Barangays. The methodology and/or components include the identification of people in the regulatory office, creation of JIT schedules, dissemination of radio announcements and the inclusion in the Liga ng Barangay meeting agenda. The steps:

  • Informing the office of the Barangay that an inspection will be conducted
  • Issuing a non-compliance notice if needed
  • Distributing flyers by the Joint Inspection Team (JIT) during the months of November–December 2017

The Joint Inspection Team (JIT) started on February 7, 2018 and ended in September 2018, and the Barangay started in October and ended in December 2018. The Barangay- Level Business Operation Database was completed through the joint effort of all of the concerned offices.. A copy of the database is both available to the LGU as well as to the barangay. The project enabled more business owners to process their mayor’s permits, business permits and working permits. The JIT was able to strengthen their relationship between the entrepreneurs.

Milestones

The remarkable results of the the Ibayaw Way of BOSS Joint Inspection Team of the City Government of Bayawan City are:

  1. Improved processes in applying permits
  2. Enhanced the city’s competitiveness locally and nationally
  3. Enabled existing businesses to legally operate in the area
  4. Monitored compliant and non-compliant businesses
  5. Adhered to the mandate of RA 11032

Summary

The GSIS implemented the Parameters on Health and Wellness Participation as a Measure in the Scorecard to address lifestyle-related health issues, improve the overall wellness of employees, and increase employee engagement and productivity. The Medical and Wellness Services Department, Human Resources Office (MWSD-HRO) developed programs focused on promoting healthy lifestyle, which consist of parameters or sports, fitness, and wellness activities that sum up to two percent (2%) of the scorecard per office.

Background and Problem

The launching of the Parameters at the Central Office in July 2018 coincided with CSC MC No. 21-2009 on “Civil Servants’ Health and Wellness Month.” This extended to 42 Branch Offices in 2019. The MWSD-HRO is tasked to submit an annual report (Health Profile) to the Management regarding the state of health of GSIS employees. This serves as the basis for developing and enhancing health care and wellness activities for the employees. Based on the CY 2017 results of the Annual Medical and Physical Examination, Annual Executive Check-up, HMO Utilization Report, and records of patient consultation at the GSIS Infirmary, the top illnesses of GSIS employees include the following: hypertension, impaired fasting glucose/diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperuricemia. In order to address the lifestyle-related health issues and improve the health condition and overall wellness of the GSIS employees, MWSD-HRO developed health and wellness programs for CY 2018 that are focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle. Thus, the active participation of the employees in the said health and wellness programs shall be considered in the calculation of their respective office’s scorecards.

Solution and Impact

Each office is required to submit monthly and quarterly reports on the participation of their employees to the MWSD-HRO for monitoring purposes. Since its launching last year, employees have an increased awareness on the benefits of various activities or a heightened consciousness about health and fitness. There is an appreciation of individual contribution to the scorecard as well as a sense of camaraderie and teamwork in attaining the two percent (2%) target per office. The gradual change in perspective and shift in culture from sedentary to mobility are evident based on the participation of the employees.

Milestones

The MWSD-HRO will come up with measures in the programs scorecard that will complement the continuous active parameters in support of the health and wellness of GSIS employees.