The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is pushing for the integration of services of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for Apostille appointments to address the long queues at DFA offices.
ARTA Director-General Jeremiah Belgica said this following his on-the-ground inspection on March 22 after receiving reports on long lines forming outside the DFA-Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) in Parañaque City due to an influx of applicants.
Following informal discussions with the said agencies, ARTA Director-General Jeremiah Belgica noted the parties agreed, in principle, to forward NBI clearances to DFA for Apostille automatically.
An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document. It is issued by a country that is a party to the Apostille Convention to be used in another country that is also a party to the Convention.
With this, applicants no longer need to go to DFA and submit their applications for Apostille but will just wait for its release.
Another recommendation of the ARTA czar is to fast-track an e-Apostille system to automate the process.
According to Belgica, the DFA could consider maintaining its offices open seven days a week instead of implementing cut-off systems to cater to all applicants.
He added that it could also activate courier services for door-to-door deliveries of documents which would lead to fewer people trooping to DFA branches, especially since overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) also queue up for their Apostille appointment aside from those with passport appointments.
"These are important streamlining strategies that would address and prevent situations like the one that we saw while conducting inspections on the field," Belgica said.
He added that ARTA would continue discussions on the said streamlining solutions with officials from DFA and NBI.
"ARTA has always reminded and championed the idea of a whole-of-government approach which includes the establishment of a single window for offices or agencies offering related services," Belgica said.
"ARTA assures that it will continue to support government agencies to find appropriate solutions or innovations while having its feet and ears on the ground with the people," he added.