Snail-paced services top 8888 complaints

CEBU, Philippines - At least 102 complaints have been received by the Civil Service Commission in Central Visayas from the presidential hotline 8888 in two months.

Most of the complaints from the transacting public is the slow and delayed processing which accounts for 40 percent. This was followed by poor service, 16 percent; and unclear procedure, 12 percent.

CSC-7 chief personnel specialist Prolaine Daclan said that the attention of the agencies concerned have already been called. The heads of agencies were required to respond to the complaints.

Among the agencies complained include the local government units, national government agencies, and government-owned and controlled corporations and financial institutions. Daclan, however, did not identify the specific offices involved.

She called on the government offices concerned to revisit its Citizen's Charter to minimize red tape and provide the transacting public with clear guidelines on the requirements for their transactions.

The Citizen’s Charter is a transparency and accountability tool, a mechanism to ensure that government services are responsive to the public needs.

The commission gives importance to President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to expedite the delivery of efficient services.

In his inaugural address, President Rodrigo Duterte directed the heads of government agencies to reduce requirements and the processing time of all transactions.

The directive was anchored on the need to improve frontline services, which is an objective that is in accordance with the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.

If a government office fails to conform to the existing policies, the public can get their complaints across via 8888 Presidential hotline that was launched on August 1, 2016. This centralized contact center facility is available 24/7.

Daclan said the center is temporarily managed by the CSC considering that it has operated and established the Contact Center ng Bayan.

The new hotline 8888 was coursed through the same facility operated by the CSC since 2012. People may reach the contact center either via CCB’s original number, 1-6565, or the new 8888 hotline. (FREEMAN)