The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Riza Lozada
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had started full implementation of its “Online Registration, Appointment and E-payment System” that significantly reduced the processing time of securing official documents, mainly NBI clearance.
The online application system was institute to comply with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) directive to provide faster and easier processing for applicants seeking NBI clearance for travel and employment, Welerme Haplasca Jr., executive officer of the NBI Information and Communications Technology Division (ICTD), said.
“The online registration, appointment and e-Payment system is the bureau’s response to provide a more efficient and convenient process of issuing NBI clearance. It is the
solution to eradicate queuing at the NBI clearance centers, shorten both waiting and processing time,” NBI Director Virgilio Mendez said.
“Since time immemorial, one of the most difficult thing to do when joining the government, or when applying for abroad is to obtain the NBI clearance which required an applicant to stand in a queue for almost an entire day just to obtain the document,” Mendez said.
“The Bureau felt the discomfort of citizens in securing an NBI clearance. This now a thing of the past with the full implementation early this year of the online application, which significantly simplified six steps to a new system with three steps. The procedure is convenient, fast and easier and registration can be done in the comfort of your home. This reduces the queuing problem (at the NBI offices),” Mendez said.
The simplified steps requires the applicant to first register online at the NBI Clearance website—clearance.nbi.gov.ph—and to complete application form before proceeding to securing an appointment date provided in the NBI website.
After securing an appointment date, the applicant has to pay the processing fee which can be made through banks, over the counter payment systems such as the Bayad Centers, through LBC and at Robinsons department stores; ATM and debit cards; and through mobile payment.
On the appointment date, the applicants are directed to 72 NBI Clearance Processing Centers located nationwide for the photo capture and fingerprints biometrics and clearance printing.
“The new NBI Clearance Processing system is a step towards improving the service the NBI provides. In fact, since the full implementation of the new system this year, there has been significant improvements and positive feedback,” Mendez said.