DAVAO CITY – If you are a professional needing a license from the government’s Professional Regulation Commission, you have probably tried to line up at night just to get a priority number.
Board passer and teacher, Trixie, 22, told Davao Today that she lined up for 13 hours in front of the PRC office in R. Castillo Street before she was entertained.
“We started lining up at 7:00 pm just to make sure that by 8:00 am we will receive the number where the schedule of our appointment is indicated,” she said.
Ruis, 21 also a teacher, said most of the applicants are professionals who have to absent from work to process their documents.
“You cannot feel that you are a professional because of the long hours that you have to wait. Time is really wasted,” she said.
The PRC is among the agencies which President-elect Rodrigo Duterte ordered to change its ways in transacting with applicants.
During Monday’s flag ceremony where he delivered his farewell speech to government employees here, Duterte said he is ordering the Department of Foreign Affairs along with other government agencies to fix the problem in two months time.
Duterte cited the experience of applicants in Davao City who are also applying for passports and have sleep in line at night just to get their numbers.
Duterte also told the offices to “come up with something better”.
“I do not want people queuing,” he said.
Duterte said government offices who are processing applications should give the applicant a list of the requirements that he needs to comply.
“If he has already completed it, do not ask for more or something less, you make it clear,” he said.
Duterte also said that the government staff who will receive the requirements should keep a ledger of the received documents and that the head of the office should give the applicant a schedule when to come back for the release of his application.
24-hour hotline
Duterte also said there will be hotline numbers which anyone could call to report corrupt government offices.
“I will put up a hotline, something about 10. Anybody could call,” he said, adding the 24-hour hotlines will record calls which, if significant, he would attend to immediately.
Duterte said event local government contracts are involved in corrupt practices particularly in purchasing supplies.
Duterte said the people have not experienced proper government services where they do not need to pay just to process their transactions.
“The people has no rest from corruption, it’s pitiful,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
