• The front line service for civil registry documents in the National Statistics Office (NSO) has transferred to its new sites in Quezon City. Therefore, the public is hereby advised not to come anymore to our Sta. Mesa office to secure certified copies of birth, marriage and death certificates and to have authenticated civil registry documents recently issued by local civil registrars (LCRs).

• The transfer to the new sites is part of NSO’s commitment towards improving the delivery of public service. Before the transfer, the agency due to lack of space was prompted to use the side walks to service at least 7,000 people daily. During "peak" season (which usually occurs during the first quarter of the year primarily due to enrolment, taxation and migration/employment abroad, among others), the figures are doubled and the long queue extends to the nearby streets of our Sta. Mesa office – rain or shine. We, at the NSO understand the great discomfort of our clients and with the on-going MRT construction nearing Ramon Magsaysay Blvd., the more we fear for their health and safety. And it is for this prime reason that we rushed our transfer to Quezon City.

• The transfer of the Civil Registry Division did not only involve the physical movement of employees, supplies and equipment but also of about 80 million records of birth, death and marriage certificates kept in folders and microfilm rolls. The changing of locations is indeed a big job. But, in roughly three weeks, the entire Civil Registry Division, except for the Authentication Unit, was able to pack its operations in Sta. Mesa and settle in its new base along EDSA in Quezon City. The Authentication Unit moved from Sta. Mesa to East Avenue also in Quezon City on January 31 and resumed normal operations the day after.

• The NSO did not stop accepting requests for civil registry documents during the transfer of CRD, opting instead for slightly extending the release dates. A steady stream of employees has been working round-the-clock shifts on extended work hours to prevent operations from being disrupted in any way. Even days before Christmas, workers poured in hours to make sure files, equipment and materials were securely transferred to the new sites. On January 11, 1999, we started releasing copies of civil registry documents at NSO-EDSA.

• Beginning January 1999, the NSO has been receiving an average of 8,600 application from 7,000 previously for certifications of civil registration. It should be noted that the same number of applicants has to return to our office to claim the certifications. Therefore, our front line service counters are attending to the needs of more than 12,000 people a day. The number is even made greater with the releases of the applications we received during our transfer in December 1998. This is the primary reason that people are seen crowding our NSO-EDSA office.

• To ease the human traffic, we would like to inform the public that the applications for the issuance of true copies of birth, marriage and death certificates for local use and foreign travel/employment and other purposes abroad (SECPA) are being accepted at the NSO-East Ave. Branch in Quezon City, beside the Land Registration Authority and fronting the Social Security System. However, the release of the requested civil registry document/certification is on the Ground Floor of NSO-EDSA Branch located at the Vibal Bldg., Times St., corner EDSA, beside Marco Polo Restaurant.

• Meanwhile, all requests for authentication of birth, marriage and death certificates recently issued by the local civil registrars (LCRs) for local use as well as the release of same is being done at the NSO-East Ave. Branch. Civil registry documents which were registered within 30 days from date of occurrence can be released within 3-4 hours from date of application.

• Our front line service counters are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Mondays to Fridays with no noon break. This means that we are providing continuous public service for 12 hours a day much more than the required 40 hours a week for most government offices. We also do not set quota on the number of clients we serve in a day. Therefore, our working hours are oftentimes further extended way beyond until the last person is served. On April 1, 1999, we expect to resume normal operation and processing of 3-days for ordinary requests as well as to accommodate "rush" requests.

• We at the NSO, do not also like long lines of people queueing for civil registry documents. We also do not want to keep our clients waiting. We have long realized that we need to further improve our serivces. It is for this very reason why we have conceived of the Civil Registry System-Information Technology Project (CRS-ITP). The CRS-ITP means the computerization of the archiving and retrieval of the civil registration documents nationwide. The project was stalled for almost two years because of the legal controversy on Administrative Order 308 which called for the establishment of a national identification system. However, the NSO got a major boost in its computerization program when the Department of Justice (DOJ) released its Opinion 91 on July 21, 1998 which granted the authority for the continued use of the Population Reference Number (PRN). The implementation of the CRS-ITP will not involve funds from the government as it has been offered to private investors under a Build-Operate-Transfer scheme.

• We have been given the rare opportunity to strengthen our office and to improve on its structure through the issuance of Executive Order No. 5 by the current administration. Thus, we are looking forward that this service shall be replicated all over the country in our regional offices and our provincial ofices. In the future, we hope to see our statistical and civil registry services within reach and delivered fast to every client that passes by our doorstep.

• In the mean time, please bear with us. Further inquiries about civil registration services will be entertained at telephone numbers 926-7294; 926-7274 or 926-7373 c/o Mrs. Lourdes Hufana, Assistant Chief, Civil Registry Coordinator.

TOMAS P. AFRICA               
Administrator and Civil Registrar-General