Birth certificate, certificate of no marriage (CENOMAR), death certificate and marriage certification—at several points of our lives, are documents we have to secure.

These documentary requirements, either for school, employment or other purposes are available at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), through an online appointment system.

Previously, one had to endure the long lines and uncertain processing time of securing civil registry documents, but now with the Civil Registration Service (CRS) appointment system launched by the PSA on January to February 2022, the process was sped up.

Securing an appointment is completely free of charge, and you only have to pay for the document itself once you pick it up.

To book a slot, follow these eight steps provided by PSA:

Step 1:

Visit the link: appointment.psa.gov.ph on your browser.

Step 2:

Click the Civil Registration Service appointment system.

Step 3:

Agree with the Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions then click NEXT.

Step 4:

Choose your preferred CRS Outlet. If from Ilocos Sur, you can choose Vigan then click on NEXT.

Step 5:

Provide the required information, click on “I AGREE” and click on NEXT.

Step 6:

Select your preferred date and time of appointment and click NEXT.

Step 7:

Wait for the confirmation of your appointment sent to the email address you provided in Step 5. Check the date and time of your appointment.

Step 8:

Print the email received or the confirmation/appointment slip which must be presented at the indicated outlet on the date and time of your appointment.

Ms. Karen Tamayo, outlet supervisor of PSA Vigan said, “Remember to be at the outlet at least 30 minutes before the appointment, and bring your IDs.”

The PSA also reminds that minors are not allowed to book an appointment.

If the requesting party is a duly authorized representative, the original copy of the authorization letter and valid ID must be presented.

The PSA Vigan supervisor said individuals without appointment will not be allowed to enter the premises of the outlet but may ask for assistance from the staff in order to secure an appointment.

“They can approach our employees and we are always ready to offer our help,” she reiterated.

Recently, the PSA Vigan learned of establishments that ask for overpriced payment in exchange of securing an appointment on the CRS.

“If you happen to know of people that offer the online appointment system as their services and ask for payment, please feel free to inform us directly through our Facebook page or our hotline so we can provide solutions,” said Ms. Tamayo.

Clients need only to pay the basic fees, Php155.00 for each copy of Copy Issuance, Authentication and Annotation of Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates, and Php210.00 per copy for the CENOMAR.

This matter is not only a concern of the PSA, as citizens of this country we have the moral obligation to inform our friends, families, and colleagues of such abuses.

The appointment system is free, and other people are using this for personal gains.

Dishonesty and deception must end, and it will only lose power if we spread the truth. (JCR/AMB/ATV/PIA Ilocos Sur)