The Pandemic Heralding the Ease of Doing Business Act Law

The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have heralded the full implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act Law that has long been passed by the Philippine congressional chambers. Today, many branches of government including those at the national level are implementing various initiatives that will speed up, streamline, and encourage virtual government transactions. Virtual governance or e-governance is one of the big changes that we are witnessing in the new normal.

Before, the submissions of mandatory forms were done manually by queuing at government facilities; now, with a click of our mobile phones, we can conveniently submit them. In due time, manual submissions of government forms and payments may become only part of the history of our government bureaucracy with the help of the Ease of Doing Business Act.

In this blog we will write about some of the initiatives of select government offices: 

Pag-Ibig 

The Electronic Submission of Remittance Schedule (eSRS) is an electronic service designed by Pag-IBIG to grant employers ease in carrying out mandatory procedures. Two of its main uses are: online submission of the monthly remittance file to Pag-IBIG, and online payment of employees’ Membership Savings (MS), Modified Pag-IBIG II (MP2) savings, Multi-Purpose Loan (MPL), and Calamity Loan amortizations. Other benefits of the system include the ability to view the status of their remittance schedule, to have 24/7 access to the platform, and to heighten convenience in paying with accessible accredited collecting partners nationwide while being compliant with the Ease of Business Act.

How do you use it?

1. Undergo employer enrollment and screening
   1. Log on to www.pagibigfund.gov.ph. Click “Downloadable Forms”, then click “eSRS Employer Enrollment Form” (HQP-ITF-033).
   2. Download and accomplish the eSRS Employer Enrollment Form. This form shall reflect the employer’s personal details and the name of the nominated Authorized User of the facility. The Authorized User must be a registered Pag-IBIG member with a Pag-IBIG Member’s Identification (MID) Number.
   3. Print and sign the Enrollment Form and submit this to the Pag-IBIG branch office maintaining your account.
   4. Pag-IBIG will notify the employer via email as to the status of his enrollment. The Authorized User will also receive his User ID and initial password via email.
2. Prepare the Remittance File
   1. On or before the scheduled date of remittance, visit the Pag-IBIG website at www.pagibigfund.gov.ph. Click “e-Services” and select the “eSRS” link.
   2. Log in using the User ID and password. After logging in, select “Manage Employee.”
   3. Check and ensure that the list of employees is complete and updated. The employer may edit or correct the list (i.e. if resigned, retired, on leave/maternity leave, etc.).
   4. Select “Create Payment Instruction” and print the Payment Instruction Form (PIF) reflecting the Payment Instruction Number (PIN).
3. Pay the fees.
   1. Proceed to Bayad Center and present the printed PIF reflecting the PIN.
   2. Pay the corresponding amount. Note that cash and check payments are accepted. Make checks payable to Home Development Mutual Fund.
   3. The collecting partner shall validate the PIF reflecting the Payment Instruction Number, which shall serve as proof of payment.

PhilHealth 

The Member Inquiry Facility was launched for PhilHealth’s 20th Anniversary as a proactive move to encourage members to keep their membership records up to date—a responsibility made easier to fulfill. However, the main purpose for this website facility is to allow members to verify the accuracy of the information reflected in their membership profiles and to monitor their posted premium contributions. This enables faster tracing of discrepancies and thus correction by the Action Center upon notification. Therefore, the service ultimately helps ensure hassle-free availing of benefits. 

How do you use it?

1. Access the Member Inquiry Facility on the homepage of www.philhealth.gov.ph.
2. To access your records, you must first register by following the standard steps indicated in the facility.
3. Once the registration is completed, you can log in using your PhilHealth Identification Numbers and the password that will be sent to your email address.
4. Supply your PIN and Password and Answer the Security Question.
5. At the main page of your account, you will be able to view your personal details, such as your philhealth number, complete name, birth date, and gender. Links to your profile, user settings, member data record (MDR) printing, and Premium contributions will also be displayed.
6. Among the links choose ‘Premium Contributions.’ You will then be directed to your ‘Member Contribution Page.’
7. Take note of the details of your contributions. On this page, you will see your member profile, permanent SSS number, tax identification number (TIN), a summary of contributions, the member share and employer share, total amount of contribution, and total months you have paid your dues. Your payment history will also be viewable.

SSS

The SSS Mobile is a mobile application developed and maintained by the Social Security System (SSS) for the overall convenience of members. Apart from digitizing forms and procedures, it consolidates these into one platform, causing the process to be quicker and more efficient. By using the App, members are able to:

1. View membership information and update contact information
2. Apply for salary loans
3. Monitor the status of SSS benefits and breakdown of total contributions
4. Generate or edit and inquire for the Payment Reference Number (PRN)
5. Submit Maternity Notification
6. See the address of SSS branches with their pinned locations on a map
7. Access the My.SSS Beta version to create a web account (for users not registered to My.SSS)

How do you use it?

1. Download the SSS Mobile App from the App Store (for iOS users) or the Google Play Store (for Android users).
2. Once installed, click the App’s icon on your phone. Log in by entering your user ID (My.SSS Web Account) and password.
3. After logging in, the App will display the menu, where you can access and view the available features of the SSS Mobile App. Click the applicable icon.
4. When clicking My Information, you may view Contact Information and/or Primary Information (e.g. CRN, SS Number, etc.), or update your local mailing address or foreign mailing address.
   1. For updating, after clicking “Submit,” you will receive an email notification from SSS with your transaction number and the attachment of the SSS Online Data Change Request.
5. Under My Contributions, you may verify the total number of contributions posted, total amount of contributions, and monthly breakdown per year. The App will reflect the months that were missed from the very first contribution to the latest.
6. Under My Loans, you may view status and balance, and apply for a loan. 
7. Under My Benefits, you may access all your claim statuses, such as for Sickness Benefits, Maternity Benefits, Retirement Benefits, etc.
8. Under Maternity Notification, you may revise the allocation of your Maternity Leave Credits. 
9. You may also generate your PRN/SOA by clicking the corresponding icon.

BIR 

The BIR Mobile TIN Verifier App is a service channel for taxpayers to send online TIN validation and TIN inquiry using their mobile phones, with real-time response from the concerned BIR Office. In line with its digital transformation and compliance with the Ease of Doing Business Act, BIR developed this mobile app in order to provide a convenient way (or an alternative) of availing the TIN validation service, as opposed to physically visiting and queuing in the BIR district office. Hence, its catchphrase “TIN inquiry in just one tap.” The system only caters to individual taxpayers and is available from Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. All queries sent during weekdays/holidays will be accommodated on the next working day.

How do you use it?

1. Download the BIR Mobile TIN Verifier App from the App Store (for iOS users) or the Google Play Store (for Android users).
2. Once installed, click the App’s icon on your phone. Open the App then read and scroll through the Mobile App Disclaimer. Click on the checkbox then click “Proceed.”
3. To use the App’s main function, click the “Tin Verifier” button on the home screen. You will be greeted by a pop-up of the TIN Verifier Disclaimer. Click “Proceed.”
4. On the main verifier page, two buttons will appear: (1) TIN Inquiry and (2) Tin Validation. Within working hours, click the applicable button. Either will lead you to a new page, where you will be instructed to provide the needed information to verify your TIN (e.g. TIN, name, birth date, etc.).
5. Provide the needed information and wait for the agent’s reply. Throughout your transaction, you will be communicating with that agent, who will be anonymous.
6. Upon receiving TIN validation (or the answers to your inquiries) from the agent, “TIN Validation (or Inquiry) Completed” will appear at the bottom of the exchange.  

SEC 

The SEC Online Submission Too (OST) is an online facility provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for quick submission of the Audited Financial Statement (AFS), General Information Sheet (GIS), Sworn Statement for Foundations (SSF), General Form for Financial Statements (GFFS), Special Form for Financial Statement (SFFS), and other reportorial requirements. The development of this service is motivated by the agency’s compliance with the ease of doing business act and  sustainability  goals,  which  have  been  at  the  core  of its ongoing digital transformation. Thus, for standardization, all corporations registered with SEC are required to enroll in the OST in order to access and submit reports through the system.

How do you use it?

1. On the SEC OST website, click on “Enroll as Company,” A pop-up page will appear where you will be required to verify the Company by providing either the company name or the SEC Registration Number.
2. If you cannot find your company, you can enroll by manually inputting your company’s information. Click on the red button that will take you to the manual input page, where you will manually input details that will be used to create the company’s SEC OST account.
3. Input the official electronic mail address, and official mobile number as declared by the company in MC No.28 s.2020. Then, input your chosen username and password. Take note of these details as these will be used to log-on to your Company Account.
4. Upon submission, your company is now enrolled. You will be sent a verification email through the official e-mail address you provided in the enrollment page. 
5. Log-in to your official e-mail account and click on the verification link. 
6. Afterwards, you may now log-in to your company account. Follow the menu and instructions displayed on the page.

DOST

The Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI) is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), aimed at securing communications among individuals and government agencies when conducting transactions online. More specifically, it is an online system that uses state-of-the-art cryptography and digital certificates for digital signing and encryption. These two components are the primary instruments of PKI that ensures identification and authentication of virtual personal identities. Through its use, trust can be present in the ‘public’ network.

How do you use it?

There are five main steps in utilizing the PNPKI system, each of which having its own procedure.

1. Accomplish the PNPKI Online Application Process through http://dict.gov.ph/pnpki. (Full Procedure)
2. Install Chain of Trust. (Full Procedure) 
3. Request for certificates. (Full Procedure)
4. Download and install certificates. (Full Procedure)
5. Install certificates in Windows Keystore. (Full Procedure)
6. Do the PNPKI digital signing. (Full Procedure)

These initiatives, among numerous others, reflect the efforts of government agencies to progress towards digital transformation—or in other words, to ease as much regulatory demands as possible and to comply with the Ease of Dooing Business Act, especially during these trying times. In order to take advantage, learning about them is of the essence. Only then can businesses understand how to integrate these new methods into their own and ultimately reap the many benefits.

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