MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE NO.

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AN ORDINANCE INTITUTIONALIZING THE CITIZEN’S CHARTER OF

THE MUNICIPALITY OF BASUD, CAMARINES NORTE AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.

SECTION 1. TITLE. This Ordinance shall be known as the “Citizen’s Charter of the
municipality of Basud, Camarines Norte.”
SECTION 2. PURPOSE. This ordinance seeks to institutionalized in the Municipal
Government’s operating system a mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability in the
provision of quality frontline services to its clientele in compliance to republic Act 7160,
otherwise known as “The Local Government Code of 1991” and Republic Act 9485, otherwise
known as “Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007”.

SECTION 3. DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES. This ordinance is anchored and

shall be implemented pursuant to the following principles:

a. Transparency and accountability in the provision of frontline services by the local

government bureaucracy;
b. Customer-friendly, more effective and efficient provision of frontline service; and
c. The supremacy of public trust and welfare.

SECTION 4. DEFINITION OF TERMS. The following terms used in this ordinance

shall be accorded the appropriate meaning as follows:

a. ACTION – refers to the written approval or disapproval made by a local

government office of the LGU on the application or request submitted by a client
for processing.
b. CITIZEN’S CHARTER – refers to an official document, a service standard, or a
pledge or commitment, that communicates information on the frontline services
provided by the LGU to the public, It describe the procedural steps for availing a
particular frontline service, and the guaranteed performance level that they expect
for that service.
c. COMPLEX TRANSACTION – refers to request or application submitted by
clients of the LGU Office which necessitates the use of discretion or judgment in
the resolution of complicated issues by an officer or employee of said LGU, such
transaction to be determined by the LGU Office concerned.
d. FIXER – refers to any individual whether or not officially involved in the
operation of the LGU who has access to people working therein, and whether or
not collision with them, facilities speedy completion of transactions for pecuniary
gain or any other advantage or consideration.
e. FIXING – refers to the act that involves undue facilitation of transactions for
pecuniary gain or advantage.
f. FRONTLINE SERVICE – refers to the process or transaction between client and
the LGU involving applications for any modification, renewal or extension of the
above-enumerated applications and/or request which are acted upon in the
ordinary course of business of the LGU Office concerned.
g. IRRELEVANT REQUIREMENTS – refers to any document or performance of
an act directly material to the resolution of the issues raised in the requestor
needed in the application submitted by the client.

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 h. OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE – refers to a person employed in the LGU required
to perform specific duties and responsibilities related to the application or request
submitted by a client for processing.
i. PUBLISHED MATERIALS – refers to printed, computer-generated, or
photocopied materials, and procedural manuals, flowcharts, made available to the
public or uploaded in the official LGU website, containing the basic information
on accessing the frontline services of the LGU.
j. SIMPLE TRANSATION – refers to requests or applications submitted by clients
of an LGU Office that only requires ministerial action on the part of the public
officer or employee, or that which present only inconsequential issues for the
resolution by an officer or employee of said LGU Office.
SECTION 5. CONTENT OF THE CITIZEN’S CHARTER. There is hereby
established a Municipal Citizen’s Charter containing, but not limited to, the following
information:

a. Vision and Mission of the LGU;

b. Frontline services committed to the public;
c. Procedural steps and documentary requirements in accessing, and maximum
response time to conclude each front-line services;
d. Officer or employee responsible/accountable;
e. Amount and description of fees, if any;
f. Allowable period for extension due to unusual circumstances, i.e, unforeseen
events beyond the control of the LGU Office;
g. Procedural steps in filing complaints including the names of the contract
official/channels to approach for redress;
h. Feedback mechanism, contract numbers to call and or persons to approach for
suggestion, recommendations, and inquiries.

SECTION 6. TASK FORCE ON LGU OPERATING SYSTEMS

REENGINEERING.

a. There is hereby created a task Force on LGU Operating Systems Reengineering to

take the lead in the establishment and maintenance of the Municipal Citizens
Charter, composed of the following:
1. Head of Office, preferably the Administrator, as Head;
2. Head of Office/Department with frontline service
b. Specifically, the Task Force shall perform the following functions:
1. Conduct periodic review of frontline services, procedural steps, requirements,
charges and fees, as well as set service standards;
2. Conduct consultative meetings with clients or beneficiaries of frontline services
to ensure the responsiveness of the Citizen’s Charter to the stakeholders needs
and demands;
3. Assist in local policy development to ensure transparency, accountability and
responsiveness of frontline services of the LGU; and
4. Conduct Values Orientation/development program of the LGU for its officials
and employees.

SECTION 7. MANDATORY SERVICE STANDARDS. The LCE shall ensure that the
following frontline service standards shall be complied with:
a. Duration of processing:

i. Ministerial requests/applications – Not more than five (5) working days

ii. Discretionary or complex transaction – Not more than ten (10) working days.

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 b. Number of signatories per transaction – not more than five (5) signatories;
c. All and every client shall be attended to and treated with utmost respect and
courtesy;
d. Posting in a Special Bulletin Board at the entrance of the Municipal Hall the
essential information on each frontline service to guide clientele such as steps by
steps process, accountable officer or employee, documentary requirements,
service fee, if any, maximum time of processing, etc;
e. Print copy of the above essential information in leaflets, brochures, etc, in the
English, Filipino and local dialect readily available at the Public assistance and
grievance desk; and
f. Compulsory wearing of IDs by officers and employees while engaged in the
provision of frontline services.

SECTION 8. PENALTIES FOR OFFENSES AGAINST THE CITIZEN’S

CHARTER.

a. Officers/Employees assigned in the direct provision of frontline services shall be

held administratively liable for the following acts/omissions:

1. Refusal to accept application and/or request submitted by a client;

2. Failure to act on an application/request within the prescribed period or failure
to inform in writing the client whose application or request cannot be acted
upon due to any deficiency or request cannot be acted upon duty to any
deficiency as prescribed in the Citizen’s Charter.
3. Failure/refusal to attend to a client who are within the premises of the office
concerned prior to the end of official working hours and lunch breaks;
4. Failure to give the client a written notice of the disapproval of his application or
request and the reason for such disapproval;
5. Imposition of additional requirement, fee or charge other than those listed in
the Citizen’s Charter;
6. Discourtesy to a client; and
7. Violation of the mandatory service standards.

b. After compliance with the substantive and procedural due process, the violations
of this ordinance shall be penalized, as follows:

First offense – 30 days suspension without pay and mandatory attendance

in value orientation program
Second offense – three (3) months suspension without pay; and
Third Offense - dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public office.

SECTION 9. FIXING

a. Fixing is hereby declared a Grave Offense of LGU officers and employees

involved and shall, after due process, be penalized with dismissal and perpetual
disqualification from public office without prejudice to prosecution for criminal
and civil liabilities under RA 9485 and other laws.

b. Fixing is the act that involves facilitation of transaction relative to the frontline
services for pecuniary gain or other advantage committed by a person and/or with
collusion or connivance with an official/employee of the LGU.
SECTION 10. RESPONSIBILITY OF HEAD OF OFFICE. Head of the LGU Office
providing frontline services shall perform the following duties and responsibilities.

a. Determine the frontline service of his office;

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 b. Determine/assign the signing officer in his absence;
c. Undertake reengineering of transaction systems and procedures, including time
and motion studies, if necessary;
d. Assign personnel of hi Office their tour of duty in the Citizen’s Charter;
e. Define the service standards, standards forms, documentary requirements,
procedural steps, etc. for the frontline services of his office;
f. Act on customer feedback regarding the frontline services of his office; and
g. Ensure that his/her personnel perform diligently their assigned tasks in the
provision of frontline services.

SECTION 11. DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITY

a. Complaints against LGU providers of frontline services shall be filed with the
LCE pursuant to Section 84 to 88 of RA 7160.
b. Complaints against LGU Head of Office who fail in his/her exercise of
extraordinary diligence as a supervisor of an erring officer/employee in section 10
hereof shall, likewise, be filed with the LCE.

SECTION 12. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND GRIEVANCE SYSTEM. There is

hereby created a Public Assistance and grievance desk manned by a responsible LGU
Officer/Employee who shall encourage clients to accomplish the appropriate feedback from
containing comments and suggestions on the LGU’s frontline services to be deposited in a box
designed for the purpose established at the receiving portion of the LGU hall. Said box shall be
opened at the end of office hours daily by the Chairman of the task Force who shall, within 24
hours, refers the Head of office concerned for consideration or appropriate action within 24
hours from referral.

SECTION 13. MANDATORY REVIEW. there shall be a mandatory annual review

and, when necessary, updating of the Citizen’s Charter by the task Force.

SECTION 14. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LOCAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE.

a. The Municipal Mayor shall be Sole Implementor of this ordinance and shall be
accountable for his failure to exercise extraordinary diligence as head of the
executive department to ensure the efficient provision of frontline services and
prompt disposition of complaints filed under Section 8, 9, 10 and 11 of this
ordinance.
b. The Municipal Mayor may issue supplemental implementing rules not
inconsistent with this ordinance and RA 9485

SECTION 15. INCENTIVE AWARDS. The Municipal Mayor shall provide incentive
awards to encourage officers and employees to perform their duties and responsibilities in the
implementation of the Citizen’s Charter.
SECTION 16. FUNDING AND APPROPRIATION. The Municipal Government shall
appropriate in its annual budget sufficient funds to sustain, improve and update the Citizen’s
Charter.
SECTION 17. SUPPLETORY APPLICATION CLAUSE. The provision of republic
Act 7160 and republic Act 9485 shall be applied suppletorily to this ordinance.

SECTION 18. REPEALING CLAUSE. All ordinances, Executive Orders inconsistent

herewith are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION 19. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. If any provision of this ordinance is
declared by competent court to be invalid, other provision not included in such declaration shall
remain effective.

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 SECTION 20. EFFECTIVITY. This ordinance shall take effect upon completion of
publication in a local newspaper of general circulation or posting at one (1) the Municipal Hall
and in two (2) other conspicuous public places in the LGU.