The Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Social Security System (SSS) were listed as the “most complained” agencies as of March this year, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said.
Based on its latest data, ARTA has received 152 total complaints. Of this number, 132 cases have been closed while 20 remain active.
SSS, on the other hand, has 156 total complaints. One hundred twelve of these have been closed, and 44 cases remain active.
According to ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez, the nature of the complaints includes delays in acting on filed applications, imposing additional requirements, and violation of the Citizen’s Charter.
Perez said they continue to engage agencies in resolving the complaints.
“We are also looking forward towards more engagement with the LTO and those other complained agencies para po mabawasan na rin ang complaints (to reduce the complaints),” Perez said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday, May 5.
“At ang message po natin dito (And our message here) is we continuously engage with these government agencies. We consider them as partners, hindi po natin sila kalaban. Ang atin pong objective ay hindi sila para makasuhan kung hindi mapaganda po ang serbisyo para sa tao (we are not their enemies. Our objective is not to file charges against them, but to improve the service for the people),” Perez added.
Other national government agencies with the most complaints include the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Land Registration Authority (LRA), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Department of Education (DepEd), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Meanwhile, other Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations that topped the “most complained” list include Pag-IBIG Fund, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Philippine Postal Corporation, Landbank of the Philippines, and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) among others.
Perez also said they have recorded a significant decrease in red-tape cases.
Perez also noted that most complaints were acted upon promptly once referred to the concerned agencies.
“Significant decrease, in fact, even President Marcos, in his message to ARTA, in our accomplishment report, recognized the big role that ARTA is doing towards improving service efficiency,” Perez said.
“Cases that were filed with us almost mga more than 90 percent are resolved,” he added.
Perez explained that the high volume of complaints is often associated with the large number of transactions handled by these agencies, rather than indicating systemic inefficiency alone.
Among recent initiatives is the development of “Tala,” an artificial intelligence system designed to provide real-time updates on government services and projects through an integrated public portal.
Perez said common concerns from foreign investors, particularly involving the BIR, are now being addressed through closer coordination and more proactive leadership.
To further improve the business environment, ARTA is pushing for the full implementation of electronic business one-stop shops across all local government units and the rollout of a central business portal to expedite permit and licensing processes.
Perez said these reforms, along with upcoming initiatives such as the business registry forum, aim to attract more investments, generate jobs, and sustain economic growth.
