"Handang Maglingkod" Program

February 14, 1990 REVENUE MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 12-90 SUBJECT : "Handang Maglingkod" Program TO : All Revenue District Officers and Other Internal Revenue Officers Concerned I. Preliminary statement One aspect of tax administration which deserves more emphasis is the delivery of fast, efficient and courteous service to taxpayers. This is a foremost concern of the national government with its program of enhancing the level of "front line services" to the people, and when applied to tax administration, this could very well result in improving voluntary compliance from taxpayers. acd This Order prescribes the procedure implementing a program of improving taxpayer service country-wide in all revenue district offices. The program has for its objectives the following: 1) promote improved service to taxpayers; 2) project a service-oriented image of the BIR; 3) evaluate the management competence of the revenue district officers (RDOs), their revenue enforcement officers (REOs), revenue collection officers (RCOs) and their staff. II. Brief description of the program This program, named "Handang Maglingkod," provides for a competition among all revenue district officers as to who could develop and institute the most effective taxpayer service campaign within his area of responsibility. Each RDO is given the flexibility to conduct whatever activity/program directed towards providing taxpayer service. III. Criteria for evaluation of effectiveness of RDO taxpayer service campaign 1. Results of performance of the express lane assistance counters prescribed in RMO 10-88. 2. Other service-oriented projects that the individual RDO may implement. 3. Documented commendations/endorsements (or, complaints) from the general public; casia 4. Results of management/performance audit to be conducted by a National Office team. IV. Duration of program competition This program shall continue throughout the tax-filing season and conclude just before the BIR anniversary in August, 1990. V. Phases of program competition: There shall be two phases in the competition: A regional phase , wherein all RDO's in regional offices and Metro Manila shall be competing and winners for each of the revenue region other than Revenue Region No. 4A, 4B1 and 4B2 and six winners for the Metro Manila regions (composed of RR 4A, 4B1 and 4B2) shall be selected, for a total of 22 winners; and A national phase , wherein the winners of the regional phase shall compete and winners for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Metro Manila (for a total of four) shall be selected. The regional judging shall be done by June 1990 and the national selection shall be done by July, 1990. VI. Board of Judges The regional competitions shall be judged by a board composed of the corresponding BIR Regional Director and designated representatives of the local Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) chapters. The national competitions shall be judged by a board composed of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the two BIR Deputy Commissioners, Presidents of the PICPA, IBP and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). VII. Rewards (and penalties) The winners shall be awarded Presidential citations, and preference in terms of promotion/transfers. Furthermore, the low raters shall be subject to penalties in the form of transfers to less-responsible offices. cdt VIII. Effectivity This Order takes effect immediately. Subsequent issuances dealing with the management audit to be conducted and the memoranda of agreement with PICPA, IBP, and PCCI to implement this program shall be circularized hereafter. (SGD.) JOSE U. ONG Commissioner of Internal Revenue