Legazpi City Launches Digital Kiosk for Faster Civil Registry Requests

LEGAZPI CITY — The City Civil Registrar’s Office (CCRO) launched its first digital kiosk on Monday, allowing clients to request civil registry documents through a paperless system. This development is expected to significantly reduce processing time and improve frontline government services. Mayor Hisham Ismail said the digital kiosk is part of the city’s digitalization to make government services more accessible and efficient. “It puts government services directly in our hands. Clients can easily request and secure certified copies of birth, marriage, death and other civil registry documents without waiting in long lines, in just a few minutes,” he said. The initiative supports the city’s commitment to reducing red tape and delivering faster, paperless and more accessible services as part of its smart city program. City Civil Registrar Office head Priscilla Galicia said the digital kiosk is designed to shorten queues by eliminating manual request forms and enabling clients to process requests electronically. “It is important because clients no longer have to wait in long lines or write their requests manually. The process is now digital and paperless, which also helps reduce the use of office supplies,” Galicia said. Requests involving recently registered records can be processed in as fast as three to five minutes, while older records may take longer because only more than 40 percent of the office’s archives have been digitized. Even then, processing of older records is expected to take no more than 30 minutes. The digital kiosk also strengthens the office’s compliance with the Anti-Red Tape Authority by making transactions faster and more seamless. “Under our Citizens Charter, clients should receive their documents within two hours. With the digital kiosk, processing takes less than two hours, and for newer records, only three to five minutes,” Galicia said. The system eliminates unnecessary referrals during the transaction process, allowing clients to stay in one place while waiting for their requested documents. To assist clients, personnel are stationed at the kiosk to guide users throughout the transaction. Galicia reminded the public that representatives claiming documents on behalf of the document owner must present an authorization letter and a valid identification card. /apl (With a report from Ella Mariz Miña, GIP/PNA)