PSA urges LGUs anew to set up request outlets

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly the National Statistics Office) continues to encourage local government units to partner with it in putting up Batch Requests Entry Systems in their respective localities.

PSA-7 interim regional director Ariel Florendo said that with BREQS, residents from far-flung areas need not go to their regional office to get civil registration documents, like birth certificates, but instead would just need to file a request at their own town or city.

“This is a form of public service to the people. It will save a lot of time and money on the part of the requester if his or her local government unit has a BREQS,” said Florendo during the AGIO Forum yesterday.

Hera Juarez, supervisor of Civil Registration Service outlets said that of the 53 towns and cities in Cebu province, 40 local government units are already equipped with BREQS.

“But still we encourage other local government units to have BREQS,” Juarez said.

An LGU will only have to spend P700 for the installation of the system and PSA will provide free trainings for the manpower.

A certain add-on will be charged though for those who will be requesting civil registration documents in their respective LGUs.

For example, a birth certificate would normally cost P140 per document in their regional office but if it is requested in the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu or Talisay service outlets, a P50 would be added.

The add-ons, Florendo said would depend on how far the town or city is from their regional office.

Meanwhile, PSA celebrates its 25th National Statistics Month this October in order to promote nationwide awareness on the importance of statistics.

This year’s theme is “NSM at 25 years and beyond: Solid and Responsive Philippine Statistical System in Support of Globalization and Regional Economic Integration”.

Firmo Deputado, Cebu provincial statistics officer, cited the importance of statistics as the Philippines is part of the ASEAN integration by 2015.

“Importante gyud ang statistics kay for example, we will be able to know the prices of our products, our labor force, our employment statistics, among others in comparing this to our neighboring Asian countries,” Deputado said.

The Philippines is poised to join the ASEAN Economic Community  with an objective of removing tariff and non-tariff barriers to further liberalize trade, financial and labor markets integration, among others.

During the 12th ASEAN Summit in 2007 held in Cebu, the leaders agreed to hasten the establishment of the AEC and to transform ASEAN into a region with the free movement of goods, services, investments, skilled labor and freer flow of capital. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/ATO (FREEMAN)