What is your experience with 'red tape' in our country?

Rene Poder, Manila: We have many honest, efficient and dedicated bureaucrats, but systemic red tape is the worm in the apple.

Romeo Caubat, Masbate: I’ve experienced red tape at the LTO. It’s been almost three years now and my laminated driver’s license hasn’t arrived or isn’t finished yet.

Big business usually bears the brunt

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: Luckily, I’m not engaged in multi-billion deals and contracts with the government to experience such horrible things. Big business usually bears the brunt.

Desuel Pardo, Mandaluyong City: The Malaysian company my daughter was connected with before closed down after less than two years of operation in the country not because of poor business conditions but due to the bureaucratic system of our government. I wonder how the Philippines can attract foreign investors with the way it operates.

Ishmael Q. Calata, Parañaque City: As a senior citizen newly engaged in an independent distributorship with no transaction done with any agency of government, I don’t have any experience with red tape in our country. However, I am aware of some happenstances involving friends and they tell me about difficulties in surmounting red tape here. Talk is that this has shooed away investors in our country. And, in the last few days, our being no. 3 as the worst in red tape in our region, next only to India and Indonesia, has pulled the country into another disgrace.

Corruption and red tape go hand in hand

Rose Leobrera, Manila: I have encountered a lot of red tape, particularly from City Hall officials, firefighters, and from the police station. When I was a new business owner, the head of the permit department offered to take care of my licenses and permits, and said, “Bahala ka na sa akin.” I added P2,000 more to the regular cost. The following year, I no longer sought his help for the renewal of the permits and decided to work on them myself. I did the whole thing in minutes and saved myself P2,000. Similarly, the bumbero would come to my place to ‘inspect’, only to sell me overpriced fire extinguishers, while the police would regularly ask for pang-kape and payments for materials used while investigating a complaint. Not satisfied, one member of them, would go to my eatery everyday for his lunch or merienda. He stopped when I told him that I am no longer interested in the case.

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: When my wife and I were processing a sanitary permit to run a middle-class restaurant near the university belt, we were made to prepare a special lunch for the sanitary inspectors to expedite the processing, otherwise it would take a month or two for the processing. We also offered them other perks like drinking imported wines accompanied by mixed pulutan. I got drunk on that occasion just to show our hospitality. I understood that red tape acted like an extra COLA for those who are working in the government just to augment their low salaries.

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: I can no longer count the number of times I have encountered red tape in our country. When I was account collector for a private firm serving many government offices, I had to attach on every invoice I submitted for collection a notarized affidavit that our company was paying sales tax and documentary stamps. On top of that I had to follow up signatures to the voucher of many officials. It took months before I could collect payment. At present, one of my granddaughters is moving from private to public school as her parents can no longer afford the high tuition fees. There are so many documents required by the public school like barangay clearance and the financial statement of her parents. The worse problem encountered by my granddaughter is getting clearance from the private school as they do not want her to move out. Red tape is one of the causes of graft and corruption in public and private institutions and slowing down business operations.

Alek Katigbak, Parañaque City: There was a time when I got into a problem with the LTO flying squad. We were apprehended for late registration. After paying the penalties at the main office, I waited the whole day to have those papers released, but it was just useless and there was nothing I could do for they claimed that they were still waiting for the signature of the chief. Yet, I saw that transactions were expedited in exchange for some grease, of course. Thinking of how this can be avoided, my solution is to put up one-stop shops, where one counter or window can do the processing of all transactions so that there is no need to pass from one person to another.

Snail-paced transactions

Elmo Cruz, Manila: When I reactivated my driver’s license, which I had not renewed in the last six years that I was abroad, I was required to present my passport and visa and California driver’s license. I was charged P800 but the official receipt was less than P500. I was given a temporary permit and was told that I can have my license after 60 days. I got my driver’s license about 90 days later after several visits to the local LTO. In my many years in foreign countries, it is only here that I encountered so much unnecessary red tape.

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: As common as mushrooms after the rain, red tape slows down business transactions with government. Anyone who has tried getting a building permit would know what I mean.

Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte: I once applied for a reissuance of a lost civil service rating card. It took the government agency a month to process the application.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: Red tape in different offices in Camp Crame is now prevalent as experienced by active and retired personnel. For instance, if you apply for an ID, which should be issued within five working days, it is intentionally delayed and instead lasts for two weeks or months as processing needs padulas in the amount of at least P300. It’s a small amount but imagine if everyone is willing to shell out said amount just to shorten their transaction. Aba, malaki rin ang paghahatian nila pag naipon yan. It’s small time compared to multi-million transactions in some government offices, thus, nobody complains. However, I just want to remind those concerned to stop their racket before they get caught.

Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: “Red tape looks good on a red dress,” Dik Browne quipped when asked, “What do you think of red tape in government agencies.” Unfortunately, it’s not funny if you experience it yourself. When I renewed my driver’s license last 2007, I went through all the regimens: NSO -authenticated birth certificate, affidavit of discrepancy and loss, drug, medical, written and actual tests. When my license came out, my surname, birthdate, address, height and weight were still wrong after I spent 10 hours there. My license was re-done four times and I was the last man out. The LTO gave me a plastic license jacket for free.

Concepcion Gaspar, Laoag City: Following up papers for promotion, benefits, etc, entails so many signatories that inconveniences a person. This is aggravated when the government personnel are housed in buildings miles apart. Think of the effort, money and time involved when there is too much red tape. Can’t the government simplify things? Imagine the effort exerted that is sometimes not commensurate to the claim.

Lucky to be spared from red tape

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: So far, I’ve had no experience since I don’t do business with government agencies known for its red tape, otherwise I would have reported this to the media.

William Gonzaga, Marikina City: As far as I can remember, I have yet to encounter red tape of such nature as harrowingly narrated by many citizens. In my previous transactions in various government agencies, I was lucky enough to survive long lines of people queueing where my senior citizen status enabled me to gain priority over others. Where minor clerks gave me some unnecessary hard times, I usually approached higher officers who tended to be more accommodating than their subordinates. Furthermore, my Shakespearean bluster did intimidate some minor functionaries who most of the times failed to cope with my argumentative stance.

Ernesto Oliquiano, Las Piñas City:  I’m thankful that I might be one of the few who has not experienced so much red tape in my dealings with government offices. Maybe, because I was also connected with a government-owned corporation, the Bangko Sentral. But I still experienced red tape in some government agencies and one of them is the Register of Deeds (ROD) where we have to verify titles of properties mortgaged to banks. There are times when we have to give “tips” just to facilitate the verification. But I have to admit that these are very rare instances. Most of the time, those in the ROD are so cooperative to give us their time.

It’s the norm in all government agencies

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: Almost all our government agencies are tied to this institutionalized malpractice. Take the LTO, for example. A very big note says in this office: “We do not entertain fixers” but right before the entrance of the gate here in our place, fixers are all around. A transaction inside the LTO is like lightning if you pass through the fixers but the price almost doubles.

Ed Gulmatico, Bacolod City: Too many, especially in dealing with some government office personnel at the BIR, Register of Deeds, LTO, SSS, GSIS and many more city and provincial personnel. A transaction will only move if you know somebody from these offices, or if you are somebody e.g. a government official, a politician, a big-time businessman or if pang-merienda is given to these government personnel. To think that business transactions will mean revenues (payment for licenses/taxes, etc.) for the government. Red tape in our country will be with us until the day we all perish in this world. We hope and pray that Pres. Noynoy Aquino can make even a slight difference. 

It pays to have the “right connections”

Felix Ramento, USA: Even as a former government employee, I still find transacting business with any government agency a form of torture. But if you’re lucky enough to have the right connections, you can go through transactions in a breeze and everything would seem very easy to do after all.

Filing my SSS pension

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: My better half is now experiencing red tape in filing her pension with the SSS. They require various documents before they approve your application. She has retired from office since March 2010 and is still waiting for a reply from the SSS but until today, we have not received any confirmation about the matter. I believe that all documents in their files that were submitted beforehand should be more than enough, but it was all in vain. I wish red tape in our country will cease to exist very soon.

Fixers in government offices

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: I’ve encountered many fixers in some government offices. The government goes through the motion of addressing problems of bureaucratic red tape but it has not really made a dent on the problem.

Red tape is already systemic

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: I’ve learned to live with red tape especially when transacting business with any government agency. Sadly, red tape is already ingrained in our damaged culture.

Ric Vergara, Calamba: Red tape is a common practice and I am already used to this menace.

J.R. Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City: Good question. My experience with red tape is that even if I follow all the rules in the book, they will always find ways to make life hard for you unless you come up with grease money. It’s just the way of life here in this Third World country.

THE WAY I SEE IT

Ferdinand Rafer, Cavite: P-Noy can’t claim personal opinion with regard to his comment on the Trillanes case. Any comment coming from him is the President’s stand that may influence the courts.  

Jeffrey Villar, Capiz: Seems to me that the ‘y’ in Floyd Mayweather’s name stands for yellow. He must fight Manny.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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