9. ARTA

At the Socialized Housing Forum, Ernesto Perez of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) brought the discussion towards implementation, focusing on how regulatory systems can either accelerate or stall housing delivery.

Framing housing as “the core of economic security,” Perez emphasized that the country’s growing housing backlog is not only a question of supply, but of institutional alignment and operational efficiency. At the center of ARTA’s efforts is a major reform initiative currently underway. A Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) that aims to streamline the permitting and regulatory processes for socialized housing.

Developed through consultations with both government agencies and private sector stakeholders, the JMC introduces a series of structural changes designed to address long-standing bottlenecks in housing development. Among its key features are the establishment of electronic one-stop shops, harmonized permitting requirements, standardized processing timelines, and data-sharing systems across agencies. The goal is to reduce duplication, eliminate repetitive submissions, and create a more predictable pathway for project approval. The urgency of these reforms becomes clearer when examining the current system.

Based on ARTA’s process mapping, securing permits for housing projects can involve up to 100 steps and 35 separate requirements across multiple agencies. Even under ideal conditions, obtaining key approvals such as licenses to sell, environmental clearances, or land titles can take weeks, or significantly longer in practice. These timelines, Perez noted, often exceed what is declared in official citizen charters, highlighting a gap between formal procedures and actual implementation on the ground.

Beyond the number of steps, the system is further slowed by structural inefficiencies. Many agencies still rely on physical document submission, requiring applicants to repeatedly submit the same materials across different offices. Site inspections are also often grouped geographically, leading to delays as projects wait for scheduled visits. Taken together, these processes increase the cost of compliance, delay project timelines, and ultimately slow down the delivery of housing–particularly in the socialized sector where margins are already tight.

In response, ARTA has adopted a whole-of-government reengineering approach. This involves convening all relevant agencies, mapping out existing processes, and redesigning workflows to create a more integrated system. The objective is not simply to reduce steps, but to ensure that agencies operate in coordination rather than in isolation.

If fully implemented, the proposed reforms are expected to reduce the number of procedural steps by over 28% and shorten processing time by more than 11%–a meaningful improvement in a system where delays can span years. At the institutional level, the JMC designates the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) as the lead agency, with ARTA serving as co-chair in overseeing coordination and compliance.

This structure aims to clarify accountability while reinforcing the role of a central coordinating body in managing the housing regulatory ecosystem. However, Perez was clear that policy design is only the first step. With most agencies already signaling commitment to the JMC, the challenge now lies in implementation–ensuring that reforms translate into actual changes on the ground.

To support this, ARTA continues to strengthen its monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. Through compliance inspections, digital complaint platforms, and regional field offices, the agency tracks adherence to prescribed timelines and processes. It also encourages stakeholders to report delays, emphasizing that accountability is a shared responsibility between government and the private sector.

At the same time, ARTA is pushing for broader digital transformation across government, including the rollout of electronic business one-stop shops at the local level. While progress has been uneven, these systems are seen as essential to achieving faster, more transparent service delivery. Ultimately, Perez emphasized that improving housing outcomes requires not just better policies, but a system that works with urgency and coordination.

“The time to act is not tomorrow–it’s yesterday,” he noted, emphasizing the need to move quickly from reform to execution. In this context, housing is not merely an infrastructure issue, but a foundation for stability, dignity, and national development. And for that foundation to be built at scale, the systems behind it must be just as strong.