Corporate Social Responsibility Cotabato Light Sustainability Digitalization

AboitizPower DU, Cotabato ink MOA on Pinas Bilis

September 21, 2023

Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) subsidiary Cotabato Light and Power Company (Cotabato Light) and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (Aboitiz Foundation) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Cotabato City Government at the People’s Palace for a streamlining program called Pinas Bilis (Quick Philippines) — its first iteration in Mindanao.

The Pinas Bilis project aims to provide digital tools and infrastructures to national government agencies (NGAs) and local government unit (LGU) beneficiaries. It also facilitates pieces of training to further capacitate government employees in making their processes quicker, more responsive, and more efficient.

“We believe that having this Pinas Bilis project will help in the successful implementation of ease of doing business. The efficiency of government services can be achieved by equipping our partners with the right skill and access to the necessary resources,” said Cotabato Light President and COO Valentin S. Saludes III.

The Aboitiz Group and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) unveiled Pinas Bilis last year. Under the partnership, five trainings were rolled out to 13 NGAs and 10 LGUs starting mid 2022 to early 2023, benefitting about 250 civil servants with zero cost to the government.

The primary objective of the project is to support the ARTA in realizing its mandate and ambition to have a Philippine government that is clean, just, highly efficient, technically enabled, and people-centered. This in turn enables trust in regulators and global competencies, Saludes added.

The project is also in accordance with the aspiration of the Cotabato City Government to speed up its service to enhance cooperation and efficiency within its jurisdiction.

With the provided tools and mechanisms, Cotabato City Mayor Mohammad Ali "Bruce" Dela Cruz Matabalao said that the Pinas Bilis project will establish a more efficient and service-oriented Cotabato City Government starting with improvements in frontline service efficiency and customer satisfaction.

“The project will be a good opportunity for the City Hall employees to enhance their abilities in using computers and to understand program software for productivity and efficiency in carrying out government services,” said Senior Vice President and COO of Aboitiz Power Distribution Utilities Anton Mari Perdices.

Cotabato Light is AboitizPower’s distribution utility that provides electric power to Cotabato City, including the surrounding municipalities of Datu Odin Sinsuat and Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao. Meanwhile, the Aboitiz Foundation is the social development arm of the Aboitiz Group.