For those who have at one point or another transacted with the old NSO in East Avenue, you'd probably recall the chaotic process and even more chaotic environment that greeted you each time you had to secure a copy of either a birth certificate or death certificate or marriage certificate or a CENOMAR. At the gates, the East Avenue headquarters was brimming with ambulant vendors selling all sorts of wares -- from pens to envelopes to adobo with rice. Inside, long queues stretching for hours was the norm. It was bureaucratic red tape at its most livid.
So with the change in name and location, have things turned for the better?
HOW TO GO TO PSA CENTRAL OUTLET IN STA.MESA
The easiest way to go to PSA Central Outlet in Sta. Mesa is to take the LRT 2 Purple Line. From Pureza Station, the PSA is a 3-minute walk past a few popular fast food joints such as Jollibee and KFC along R. Magsaysay Boulevard. It is housed in a building called Solicarel Building 1. Getting there is a no-brainer because more likely than not, you will be walking along several other people going in the same direction. You know you are inching closer when you start to walk past vendors selling pens and envelopes and you are able to spot the De Ocampo Memorial College. If all else fails, ask.
To be honest, the new PSA Central Outlet in Sta. Mesa is a tad better than the claustrophobic one in East Avenue. That being said, the new office still looks grimy and worn-down and has obviously seen better days. It does not help that the new location is right smack in the middle of a noisy, polluted, stinky, and congested area filled with vagrants and honking jeepneys. Be ready for the sight of abject poverty.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Many people who have visited the new PSA Central Outlet in Sta. Mesa have made positive comments about the relatively easier and more comfortable process of securing birth certificates there. This is debatable, though, because in reality nothing about the process is easy or comfortable.
Step 1: Get an application form. For first-timers, this initial step may be confusing because at the onset, one is greeted by the sight of long and confusing queues snaking outside the building. So where do you get the form? Ignore the queues and enter the building and look for the window for forms at the right section of the lobby. Forms are color-coded according to the type of document you wish to request a copy for. Once you get the form for birth certificate (BC), head over to the counter at the edge to fill it out.
Step 2: With your form filled out, proceed to the screening queue. This is where PSA officers check if your form is properly filled out. These officers will also check for valid IDs (for both owner and requester of documents) along with an authorization letter if the requester is not the document owner, his/her parent, his/her spouse, his/her direct descendant, or his/her legal guardian/institution in-charge, if minor.
The long and confusing queues that greeted you outside the building? That's where you need to go. So you may need to go out of the building and look for the end of the line to get yourself sorted. Consider yourself lucky if there is no such queue.
Past the lobby is the waiting area for screening. Immediately noticeable is the lack of proper ventilation and fire exits. There are two rows of about 100 monobloc chairs each, segregated by gender. Twenty or so people are called up each time to take the stairs up the third floor where the actual screening takes place.
Note that while screening sounds fairly easy on paper, the truth is that it is not. This is mainly because a lot of people do not bring or do not have valid government-issued IDs. Many insist on presenting their community tax certificates or barangay clearances or torn up IDs and other IDs of dubious character that are clearly not listed in those considered as acceptable. As a result, the PSA officers end up taking more time than usual dealing with these people, thereby delaying the process for everybody else in the queue.
For the record, here are the IDs accepted at the PSA: office/company ID, unexpired school ID, SSS UMID, GSIS ID, Pag-Ibig ID, Philhealth ID, senior citizen's ID, PRC ID, driver's license, passport, NBI clearance, police clearance, TIN ID, postal ID, voter's ID, and PWD ID. If your ID is anything other than those enumerated, spare yourself (and everybody else) the trouble; secure a valid ID first before going to the PSA.
Step 3: Right next to the screening area are the cashier windows which, again, are segregated by gender. The cost per copy of birth certificate is P140. Don't forget to claim your receipt, which you will need for the next step.
Step 3: Right next to the screening area are the cashier windows which, again, are segregated by gender. The cost per copy of birth certificate is P140. Don't forget to claim your receipt, which you will need for the next step.
Step 4: Adjacent to the cashier windows is the releasing area. This is a cavernous non-airconditioned hall with metal seats capable of accommodating hundreds. There are several booths out front where PSA officers talk through loudspeakers to notify those whose requested documents are ready for claiming. But between the TV set and the loud chatter of people around, it can be a little hard to hear what the PSA officers are saying so it pays to be a little attentive. Waiting time could range from half an hour to an hour or longer.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Quality of service: VERY POOR
Quality of facilities: POOR
Quality of employees: POOR
Clearly, going to the PSA Central Outlet to request for documents is just as time-consuming and energy-draining as it was in the past when all these was still being done in their old East Avenue location. It would seem that nothing much has changed in terms of the abysmally low quality of service being provided and the dismal state of facilities being utilized. It's no wonder then that, with all the needless hassle and the inconvenience of commuting, many people would rather opt to pay extra to have their documents requested through third-party channels, such as SM Business Center. Without a doubt, the PSA needs to ramp up its efforts and be very serious in effecting changes geared toward delivering quality service in the future.
PRO TIPS:
1. Download the form online and fill it out before going to the PSA so that you get started with step 2 right off the bat. Otherwise, bring a black pen with you; there are no pens available at the counter where you are supposed to fill out the application forms. Borrowing one from others is a drag.
2. Bring exact change to avoid getting stranded at the cashier's booth.
3. Bring water. Once you've managed to enter the building, you'll need to keep yourself hydrated from the long wait and the scorching temperature (if you're unfortunate enough to be there when the ACs are broke). If you feel dizzy from the deluge of people inside, having a sip or two also helps.
4. The restrooms at the PSA can be summed up in two words: horror story. So if you can help it, hold it in.
5. Bring a fan to cool yourself down.
6. Keep your sanity intact by bringing a book or a magazine to while away the long waiting time. Else, have a power bank on hand in case your mobile phone runs low on battery from hours' worth of tinkering.
7. Demand the government for better service through appropriate feedback mechanisms. Filipinos deserve better.
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Have you visited the PSA Central Outlet and requested for official documents? How was your experience? Join in the discussion by posting your comments below.