Businesses are being asked to identify government regulations that add unnecessary costs, delays or compliance requirements as the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) begins its 2026 review of rules affecting key industries.

The initiative, launched on 26 August under the Modernizing Government Regulations Program (MGRP), aims to gather firsthand experiences from businesses and other stakeholders on regulations that may be hampering competitiveness, investment and growth.

Milagros Roa, a regulatory review project manager, said stakeholder feedback will help identify rules that create difficulties in government transactions and service delivery.

The 2026 review will cover five priority areas: energy, health, transportation, business closure regulations and plywood regulations in the manufacturing sector.

The MGRP seeks to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, lower compliance costs and make government rules more coherent and responsive to industry needs. It supports Republic Act No. 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services Act, as well as the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

Roa said information gathered from business leaders, civil society groups, academics, regulators and other stakeholders will help DAP’s study teams assess how existing regulations work in practice and identify implementation problems.

Data gathering will run from August to September, followed by industry dialogues and key informant interviews from September to October. Initial recommendations are expected to undergo public consultation in October, while near-final proposals will be presented in December.

DAP will finalize the review reports before yearend, with the findings expected to provide specific recommendations on updating outdated rules, resolving overlapping government mandates and removing red tape.

The agency said the results could help national government agencies streamline government-to-business and government-to-citizen transactions while reducing compliance costs.

The review forms part of broader efforts to improve the Philippine regulatory environment and make government processes more supportive of businesses and economic activity.