Government Services Brought To The Public In The First ARTA Caravan Overseas
(From left to right): PhilHealth representative Renato Bristol, CSC Director Cyril Nathan Eamiguel, PhilHealth Director Dr. Israel Francis A. Pargas, Philippine Ambassador to Japan H.E. Jose C. Laurel V, Consul General Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio, SSS representative Jonnah Cruzada in front of the ARTA Caravan booths.
Filipinos in Japan were eager to avail themselves of Philippine Government agency front-line services in the first ARTA Caravan held overseas. The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo in cooperation with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) brought together the services of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), the Social Security System (SSS) and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) during the 2017 Philippine Festival held in Tokyo, Japan on 30 September – 1 October 2017.
ARTA is the acronym for the Anti-Red Tape Act (Republic Act No. 9485), a landmark legislation enacted to improve the efficient delivery of government services by reducing red tape and promoting government transparency. 2017 commemorates the 10th year Anniversary of the implementation of the Anti-Red Tape Act.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) introduced the ARTA Caravan in 2016. It toured the Philippines but has never been implemented overseas till now. The caravan gives easier access by Filipinos to government frontline services at the public’s convenience by bringing these services closer to them. It aims to “engage the citizenry in improving public service delivery by increasing awareness on the anti-red tape campaign and on citizens’ rights and responsibilities as clients or consumers of government services”.
The approximately 100,000 visitors to the 2017 Philippine Festival had the opportunity to avail of and be informed of the services of the ARTA Caravan and its participating agencies. The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Japan also gave consultations on consular and OWWA concerns, and registered Filipinos to vote for the 2019 National Elections while the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) represented by no less than its CEO, Atty. Bienvenido K. Chy, provided wide-ranging information on its programs. Philippine Embassy disaster preparedness handbooks were distributed for free. More than 868 Filipinos were served by the two-day caravan.
CSC Director Cyril Nathan Eamiguel and PhilHealth Director, Dr. Israel Francis Pargas, address an overflowing crowd of Filipinos at the 2017 Philippine Festival. They are joined by 2017 Philippine Festival Executive Committee Chairperson, Ms. Jenavilla Shigemizu.
(From front to back) PhilHealth representatives Dr Israel Francis Pargas, Renato Bristol, Katrina Guevarra and SSS representative Jonnah Cruzada provide services to Filipinos residing in Japan during the ARTA Caravan at 2017 Philippine Festival.
PagIBIG representative Olivia Akatsu provides advise to the public on PagIBIG programs during the ARTA Caravan in Hibiya Park, Tokyo at the 2017 Philippine Festival.
Philippine Embassy personnel register Filipinos eagerly availing of government front-line services in the ARTA Caravan during the 2017 Philippine Festival.
