The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), through its Productivity and Development Center, conducted an online public consultation on the Modernizing Government Regulations Program’s (MGRP) 2023 Regulatory Review on 13 November 2023. The consultation presented the DAP study teams’ research findings and emerging recommendations gathered from the second round of dialogues with stakeholders from the five sectors and industries covered by the 2023 Regulatory Review. 

Some 90 stakeholders from the Clinical Laboratory, Consumer Goods and Retail, Hazardous Healthcare Waste Management, Livestock Subsector, and Socialized Housing sectors and industries participated in the online consultation.

DAP-MGRP Program Manager Lea Peralta thanked the stakeholders who participated in the consultations on the regulatory review and provided their inputs to better the regulatory environment of the priority sectors and industries. She emphasized the significance of the MGRP in addressing key regulatory issues and enhancing productivity across priority sectors. Meanwhile, DAP Fellow, Reuel Hermoso, shared the background of the MGRP as well as the 2023 Regulatory Review which started in August with the data gathering activities and will conclude in December with the presentation of final recommendations through a public forum.

During the consultation, participants were divided into breakout groups to deliberate on the initial findings and emerging recommendations of the five regulatory reviews conducted. Stakeholders from the Clinical Laboratory Industry discussed challenges related to manpower, laboratories, service capability, and feedback mechanisms. Meanwhile, participants in the Consumer Goods and Retail Industry group raised concerns about the legal basis and technological challenges affecting the registration process for new products. The Hazardous Healthcare Waste Management group emphasized coordination challenges and maritime transport issues, advocating for simplified healthcare waste understanding and consideration of maritime rules. Stakeholders from the Livestock Subsector identified problematic regulations, proposing risk-based and implementable regulations focusing on food security and safety. Lastly, the Socialized Housing Industry participants tackled issues with housing production, advocating for government prioritization and budget allocation, as well as pushing for the digitization of processes through the Supreme Court’s digital notarization project.

Productivity and Development Research Office Director Monica Saliendres integrated the discussions and recommendations from the five sectors and industries and outlined the next steps for the regulatory review.  She expressed hope that the session clarified the importance of modernizing government regulations and emphasized the need for clear processes, particularly for local government units acting as both regulators and regulated entities. Saliendres thanked the private sector for their inputs, acknowledging their important role in creating an enabling environment for economic recovery and growth. She assured the stakeholders that the MGRP will consider the recommendations gathered in this public consultation in writing the draft final reports on the five sectors subjected to regulatory review, which will be presented in a Public Forum on 5 December 2023.