Thank God for e-census

I needed to get a certified copy of my birth certificate from the NSO just recently. The National Statistics Office in East Ave is just around 10 minutes away from where I live. However, the thought of long queues and government offices and government culture made me think about other alternatives. I checked out the NSO website at https://www.ecensus.com.ph/ (yey! a secured site…) and lo and behold, the document I needed was just a few clicks away. Opening with the lines: ”Need a birth, marriage, death certificate or CENOMAR (Singleness)? e-Census allows you to request these documents anytime, anywhere! And to top that convenience, your documents will be delivered to you. You can also pay for your requests online.” Yes, transacting with the government is now easy, tolerable and convenient.

With the introduction of information technology to the NSO, access to documents is made easier to the public. Since these public documents are vital records needed in most contracts with the government, e-census facilitates this transaction by making the operations between the government and private individuals more efficient. By providing online access to their services, people can now order online, make queries and monitor their requests anytime. This online service affords individuals more data that tailors to their needs, and producing a more informed public. An informed public leads to more efficient transactions that produce higher public and private economic activities.

Aside from providing a hub of information, and a venue for transactions, this online service removes the geographical barrier. People at any point in the country, and even in any point in the world, can transact with the NSO without leaving their locality as long as they have a credit card or an accredited bank nearby. We now live in a fast-paced world, coupled with heavy traffic and the increasing price of gasoline, time is a resource one cannot take for granted.

Maybe it’s the convenience of not going to the government office, staying in long queues and being cut-off as the lunch break nears, or being asked to come back when the clock strikes four. Maybe it’s the efficiency brought about by this online service that allows you to finish transactions in just a few minutes. Whatever it is, the NSO has proven itself that it can deliver. Its’ office has removed itself from the stereotype of typical government offices, and brought back the faith of the public to its reliability as a part of the government. With the application of information and communications technology to their operations, a better National Statistics Office has emerged.