The ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opens the new CRS outlet in Marawi City, marking a significant step towards enhancing access to essential civil registry services for Lanao del Sur residents. The ceremony was led by Deputy National Statistician Clemente S. Manaog, PSA-BARMM Regional Director Akan Tula, PSA Lanao del Sur Chief Statistical Specialists Mohammadali Alonto, PSA Lanao del Sur officials, and local stakeholders. (Photo: ZRD/PIA-10)
MARAWI CITY (PIA) —The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has launched a new Civil Registry System (CRS) outlet in Marawi City, aimed at improving access to essential civil registry documents for residents of Lanao del Sur and nearby towns within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The ceremony, held at the PSA Lanao del Sur Provincial Office on February 26, was led by Deputy National Statistician Clemente S. Manaog. He highlighted the importance of the new CRS outlet in meeting the growing demand for easier access to civil registry documents, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates, which are crucial for various personal and government-related transactions.
“We responded to that need of our kababayans dito sa Lanao del Sur, sa Marawi, specifically in BARMM – the need for documentation. Because sa ngayon hindi tayo pwedeng gumalaw na wala tayong documentation. Kaya sabi natin, dapat kung kukuha ang ating mga kababayan ng kanilang dokumento para gamitin sa kanilang transakyon, gawin natin itong mas madali at mas mura, pero yung integridad o kredibilidad ng dokumento ay totoo at maaasahan,” he said.
(We responded to the need of our fellow citizens here in Lanao del Sur, in Marawi, specifically in BARMM – the need for documentation. Because, right now, we cannot move forward without proper documentation. So, we said that if our citizens need to obtain their documents for their transactions, we should make it easier and more affordable, while ensuring that the integrity and credibility of the documents remain genuine and reliable.)
Manaog reflected on the evolution of the civil registry process, noting that before the year 2000 when PSA was still the National Statistics Office (NSO), civil registry requests were processed manually with physical folders. Citizens had to travel to Manila to access essential documents, which was costly and time-consuming, especially for those in remote areas.
He also emphasized the advancements brought about by PSA’s digitalization project, which has transformed the agency from handling paper-based records to managing 197 million digital records, including birth, marriage, and death certificates. These records are now securely stored and accessible through a centralized digital system, allowing citizens across the country—and even overseas—to request and receive their civil registry documents without traveling to the PSA main office in Manila.
“Kung ang iyong record ay nadigitalize namin, nailagaynamin ito sa aming database, pwede ka nang magrequest dito sa Marawi City. Ang dokumentong iyon ay tatanggapin kahit saan mo ito gamitin. Kasi ano ang makukuha mo sa Manila or sa ibang outlet, yun din ang makukuha mo dito sa Marawi City. Ganyan kahalaga dahil ang layunin natin ay gawing madali at mailapit ang serbisyo ng gobyerno sa ating mga kababayan,” Manaog said.
(If your record has been digitized and added to our database, you can now request it here in Marawi City. That document will be accepted wherever you use it. What you receive here in Marawi City is the same as what you would get in Manila or any other outlet. This is how important it is, as our goal is to make government services easier and more accessible to our fellow citizens.)
“Ang ipinangako ng PSA at Unisys ay kapag nakapagbayad ka, makukuha mo ang dokumento sa loob ng isang oras,” he added.
(What PSA and Unisys have promised is that once you make a payment, you will receive your document within an hour.)
According to Manaog, their goal is to open 80 CRS outlets nationwide, with five outlets planned for BARMM. Three of these outlets are already operational in Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, and Marawi City, with new outlets set to open in Sulu and Basilan later this year.
Nor-ain M. Magadapa from Ditsaan Ramain shared her positive experience with the CRS outlet in Marawi. She explained that she learned about the outlet while in Iligan City for an appointment, where she encountered issues with her documents. She was advised to visit the Marawi CRS outlet for assistance.
“Alhamdullillah, kasi yung experience ko dito sa Marawi CRS outlet ay smooth naman at lahat ng mga staff dito ay approachable and kind,” she expressed.
(Praise be to God because my experience here in the Marawi CRS outlet was smooth with all the staff being approachable and kind.)
Magadapa encourages fellow residents of Lanao del Sur who need their civil registry documents to visit the CRS outlet in Marawi, which is located across from the Lanao del Sur Schools Division 1 in Brgy Datu Saber. (APB/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)
