CATARMAN, Northern Samar (PIA) — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Catarman has provided more services to thousands of individuals since opening its Civil Registration Services (CRS) outlet in October 2023.

According to the Supervising Statistical Specialist Maria Theresa Elizalde, there is no day when they won't see a long queue, and these people are coming from all over the province.

She added that there are those from island and Pacific towns who come as early as 5:00 a.m., ensuring they get the documents and can still go back to their hometown.

Before the Civil Registration Services outlet was established in Catarman, people had to travel to the PSA CRS outlet in Catbalogan or the regional office in Tacloban to obtain the necessary documents.

This required a travel time of around 4 hours from Catarman to Catbalogan and 6 to 7 hours from Catarman to Tacloban (one-way), making it inconvenient for clients to obtain the documents they needed.

Gina Mila, a resident of San Roque in Northern Samar, expressed gratitude towards the government for opening a CRS outlet in Catarman.

She shared that she could obtain her birth certificate within an hour of waiting, thanks to the efficient service provided. She also mentioned that the good internet signal made the process even smoother.

Mae Moreno, the CRS supervisor, informed clients that they could submit their applications in person as walk-ins. However, clients are encouraged to come early for faster transaction processing.

The services and transactions cover the acquisition of birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, and certificates of no marriage. The Catarman CRS outlet is located at the corner of Bonifacio and Quezon Streets, near St. Michael Academy in Catarman, Northern Samar. (AND, PIA Northern Samar)