PSA Tacloban curbs long queues in getting documents

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 22 (PNA) –- More than four months after President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to end long queues in government offices, clients noted changes in the releasing of civil registry documents at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) field office here.

It was the third time for Rosviminda Ladan, 60, of San Jose district in this city to get documents from PSA. This time, she obtained a death certificate of her husband, who passed away four years ago.

She noticed the express lane at the PSA Census Serbilis Center for the elderly, pregnant women and persons with disabilities.

“It is more convenient now that they have a priority lane for us. I just hope that services will continue to improve every year,” said Ladan, who visited the PSA office last year.

Homer Baquillon, 34, who traveled four hours from Borongan City in Eastern Samar to the regional capital, noticed the faster services of PSA.

“This is better than in the past where it took a day to get a document,” he recalled.

Baquillon, however, suggested to open Census Serbilis outlets in provinces so that people don’t have to travel before sunrise to get civil registry documents.

Flordilis Perez, chief of PSA Census Serbilis said the expansion to other areas is part of their long term plan. Pending its implementation, they have thought of ways to make processing more convenient.

“We have now separate outlets for payment and releasing documents to serve our clients better and I am happy that they appreciated our improved services by giving positive feedbacks,” Perez told PNA.

The PSA serves 700 clients daily during peak season such as weeks prior to school enrolment and 300 clients during regular days. From two to three hours processing, now it only takes 30 minutes to an hour from application to releasing of documents printed in security papers.

Besides PSA’s online application, the agency also opened an outlet at SaveMore Tacloban.

A client has to pay PHP140 to obtain a copy of birth, marriage and death certificates. The charges is higher by PHP55 for a copy of a certificate of no marriage.

The improved service is in line with President Duterte’s order to reduce the suffering of the public in transacting with government agencies. (PNA)

 LAP/SQM/Ana Rose D. Cinco (OJT)