Why fix it if it ain’t broke
In his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) last year, President Duterte issued a marching order to all government agencies: provide frontline services to quickly respond to the public’s application for government-related documents. He wanted to make life easier, especially for the working class, particularly in securing certificates to complete their employment requirements. “Ayaw ko mahirapan ang Pilipino (I don’t want Filipinos to have a hard time),” he stressed.
This is the reason why I am quite perturbed by a recent issue I read that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), formerly known as the National Statistics Office (NSO), the main government agency responsible in issuing various certificates, including for birth, marriage, and death, is reportedly facing technical problems in accepting and processing online applications.
PSA’s NSO helpline reportedly abruptly stopped accepting online applications on 4 January, the day that the termination notice to its service provider took effect. Reports have it that PSA decided to sever partnership with its online service provider due to alleged “numerous” complaints they received from the public.
The online service provider, however, clarified that the complaints filed only represent less than one percent of the yearly total being serviced. From 4 to 8 January this year, the service provider received more than 5,000 calls and more than 40,000 users visited its website. Most, if not all of the applicants are demanding the service provider to accept their applications.
If the government fails to grant a citizen an authenticated copy of his birth or a marriage certificate, that person could potentially lose a job or an important travel opportunity.
PSA, as part of its mandate to efficiently serve the people, must assure the public that online applications for certificates will be back to normal as soon as possible. Any delay will mean inconvenience to many Filipinos.
The public’s interest should have been the foremost consideration of PSA before it made a critical decision to end partnership with its technology partner that would inconvenience the people.
PSA’s move to terminate the online provider’s contract will significantly result in the delay of the issuance of birth certificates for Filipinos searching for foreign or local employment, students complying with school requirements, and ordinary people applying for death benefits of their deceased relatives. Not to mention those who intend to travel and who need documents for visa requirements.
This reminds me of a similar case when the then Department of Transportation and Communication abruptly terminated the operations and maintenance contract of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 with a large Japanese company and awarded it to a local company. We all know what happened next. As a result, trains bogged down and service to the riding public was interrupted.
A birth certificate is a vital record that establishes the birth of a child. It is used to authenticate one’s identity and nationality, and assist with obtaining government-issued identity documents. The lack of this document leads to social stigma and difficulty in accessing basic government services, like education and health care.
If the government fails to grant a citizen an authenticated copy of his birth or a marriage certificate, that person could potentially lose a job or an important travel opportunity.
The PSA and its online service provider partner, which I learned has been working with the former for 20 years, should sit down and discuss whatever differences they have — technical or operational issues — to prevent further disruption in the application and delivery process of PSA certificates.
They need to work together to address the service gap the public is experiencing currently.
While PSA and its online service provider have yet to iron out the kinks, the latter has offered to resume its services, out of goodwill, during this transition period until the PSA decides on the next move. It is reassuring to know that it is willing to assist in any way it can for the service of the public, specially the majority of the working class who cannot afford to leave work just to apply for their PSA certificate.
PSA, as part of its mandate to efficiently serve the people, must assure the public that online applications for certificates will be back to normal as soon as possible. Any delay will mean inconvenience to many Filipinos. Obviously causing inconvenience to the people is something the President abhors.