TACLOBAN CITY – The online appointment system for securing copies of civil registry documents has been accommodating an average of 800 clients daily, addressing the long queues and overcrowding at the Civil Registration Services (CRS) outlet here, an official of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Tuesday.
PSA Eastern Visayas Regional Director Wilma Perante said they have been strictly implementing the system in the past three weeks, encouraging more document applicants to go through the online process.
“Only clients with a valid appointment slip from the system will be allowed entry to the PSA premises. Confirmation of appointment will be sent through email along with the quick response (QR) code, which should be presented at the CRS outlet on the set date and time of appointment. The appointment slip is non-transferrable,” Perante said in a phone interview.
The slot can be secured online through https://appointment.psa.gov.ph. The official said they no longer entertain walk-in applicants.
Before the new system, over a thousand clients showed up at the CRS outlet here daily to get authentic copies of civil registry documents such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, including certificates of no marriage.
The CRS in this city has been serving clients from the region’s six provinces -- Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar.
“The overcrowding especially during pandemic prompted our office to think of ways on how to encourage the compliance of minimum public health standards and make the queuing more systematic,” Perante added.
Aside from those who booked online, the PSA also prints batches of copies of civil registry documents requested by local government units for their residents living in places far from the city.
Exempted from the online appointment are workers considered as front-liners, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities personally appearing to secure copies of documents for their own. (PNA)
