Residents from outside Metro Manila can now secure certified copies of certifications of birth, death, marriage and no marriage in security paper (SECPA) from the National Statistics Office (NSO) without leaving home. All it takes is a simple phone call.

Instead of travelling all the way to Manila to file a request and to go back to pick up the document, all that one has to do is dial (02) 737-1111 and, upon contact, a customer care operator will jot down the details of the requests on a standby computer. The next step is to take note of specific instructions on how to pay your document in an accredited bank nearest your community. Nine (9) working days after your payment has been confirmed, your documents will be delivered door-to-door by a special courier service. The service called NSO Helpline Plus! was launched by the NSO only last month and is available round-the-clock nationwide.

NSO Helpline Plus! allows clients to file their requests for certified copies of civil registry documents thru phone at any time of day or night and for seven days a week. It is as easy as ordering your favorite pizza in your neighborhood fastfood store!

Aside from convenience, this customer care service also gives the public 24-hour access to information on civil registration guidelines and procedures, QuickStats and general information about the NSO.

The NSO foresees that clients coming from the provinces are expected to benefit more from this fully automated public service hotline as they will be spared of travelling time and its corresponding cost when they go to Manila for the same transactions. Calls from outside Metro Manila will incur normal long distance charges.

People who have tried NSO Helpline Plus! found the service to be helpful as it takes the guesswork out of correctly filling up an application for request for certification. Should a client find the information provided in the voice recordings insufficient, there are customer care officers manning the hub of operation in Manila who have been trained to provide answers on general questions about NSO.

"The service is friendly, courteous and very helpful" noted one caller. Largely due to its unexpected popularity, some callers have experienced a wait of less than five minutes in getting connected to a customer care officer during peak hours. It is therefore advisable to make transactions during evenings and on weekends.

Administrator and Civil Registrar-General Tomas Africa said that with this new service, the NSO -- which processed a daily average of 9,423 requests in 1999 -- expects shorter queues at its frontline service counters in Quezon City. He also added that a more informed public shall pave the way for faster, more orderly transactions.

NSO Helpline Plus! is among the many projects conceived by the agency in line with its commitment towards better customer satisfaction. The service is being offered through the state-of-the-art call center technology and management expertise of Pilipinas Teleserv Inc. at no cost to the government.