DENR 6 ranks 2nd in handling Hotline 8888 tickets

Iloilo City- Indeed, good things happen to those who hustle.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 6 was recently cited by the DENR Central Office for ranking No. 2 among all regional offices in Visayas and Mindanao to have achieved a 100 percent resolution rate of Hotline 8888/DENR Action Center tickets/concerns for CY 2023.

The citation was given during the Capacity Building Seminar Workshop on DENR Action Center/Hotline 8888 Operations and Ticket Resolution held at Parklane International Hotel in Cebu City on July 5, 2024. Atty. Francis Glenn S. Arceta, DENR 6’s Regional Focal Person received the Plaque of Recognition from Director Joe-Mar S. Perez, Head of the DENR Action Center/Hotline 8888.

Land matter concerns comprise the biggest chunk of tickets/referrals lodged in DENR 6’s Hotline 8888 in CY 2023 which numbered to 32, followed by Environment with 2 cases; Administrative, 2 cases; and, Forestry, 1 case.

The Hotline 8888 of DENR 6 has actively assisted complaints, grievances, and requests through calls, text messages and emails from the public. Atty. Francis Glenn S. Arceta as regional focal person for the Hotline 8888/DENR Action Center have tediously coordinated all concerns with the respective offices, especially with the Surveys and Mapping Division (SMD) and field offices.

“Our EMB and MGB regional offices and most of our provincial office counterparts were also given high praise and were recognized for their dedication and effort in handling Hotline 8888/DENR Action Center concerns referred to them,” said Atty. Arceta.

“Our sincere service to the people sometimes goes beyond the comforts of 8am to 5pm work shift. Some messages or emails arrive at a time we clock off from work. Other times coordination may have been done on weekends. We continue to serve anyway\ because we understand the people rely on us to assist them in their concerns,” said Forester Raul L. Lorilla, OIC Regional Executive Director of DENR 6.

The process of untangling and resolving environmental issues had always been complex. But DENR 6, through its Hotline 8888/DENR Action Center Focal Persons continue to find the means to serve the public by addressing and resolving various concerns.

The 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Hotline allowed the public a speedy means of reporting complaints and grievances against government agencies, officials and employees thru text, call, or email address to the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center located at the Office
of the President.

On October 14, 2016, the President signed Executive Order No. 06, “Institutionalizing the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Hotline and Establishing the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center”. The EO placed the 8888 under the supervision of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, in charge of all matters in connection to the establishment and institutionalization of 8888 (source: 8888.gov.ph). /DENR 6