The presentation of Valenzuela City’s 3S Plus Electronic Terminal at the workshop jointly organized by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - Investment Enabling Environment (INVEST), is a testament that more agencies in the country have become interested in adopting this well-engineered project.

 

In line with this year’s theme for the Fire Prevention Month, “Isulong ang Kaunlaran, Sunog ay Iwasan, Kaalaman at Pag-iingat ay Kailangan,” the workshop delved on the significance of streamlining fire safety inspection procedures, which can help the nation achieve economic progress faster.

 

Resource speaker and Valenzuela City Permits Division head Arch. Edison Padilla shared that the cooperation between BFP and local government units can prove to be effective in devising a systematic method in hastening building and construction permit application process.

 

Arch. Padilla mentioned that the memorandum of agreement signed by Valenzuela City Mayor REX Gatchalian and F/Supt. Jose Mel P. Lagan on January 29 was a crucial stage in the inception of the local government’s 3S Plus Electronic Terminal, a tangible innovation that best represents the city’s effective anti-corruption strategy.

 

A permit applicant no longer needs to travel from the city hall to BFP-Valenzuela just to comply with fire safety requirements separately, since an in-house BFP evaluator is already detailed at the Permits Division of the City Engineering Office.

 

In Valenzuela City, the permit application timeframe which took several weeks to finish before, may now be completed in two days, provided that there will be no compliance findings in the documents submitted by an applicant.

 

DILG Usec. Austere Panadero shared his view that all government units can also be instrumental in improving the country’s business competitiveness.

 

The National Competitiveness Council recently reported that the Philippines is up by 8 notches in the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom, from no. 97 to no. 89out of 178 ranked countries. Its score of 60.1 classifies the Philippines as “moderately free," ranking no.112 in business freedom and no. 80 in investment freedom.

 

Joining Arch. Padilla as resource speakers were Ms. Ditas Rivera of Batangas City, Mr. Ramon Mercado of Cagayan de Oro, and Capt. Gary Lunas of BFP.