Cedula application in Cebu goes online

CEBU, Philippines — In search for the Digital Cities Philippines Awards for Best Practices in eGovernance, the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office has showcased its new online application of community tax certificates or cedula.

In a press conference, Acting Treasurer Veronica Morelos said she is hoping that the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Information and Communications Technology will recognize the advancement of delivery of basic services of the city government.

“The online application of cedula is one of the features that the Cebu City Government showcased in the categories of the search since, I believe, it’s the first time in the country,” she said.

Morelos said one of the objectives of the search for the Digital Cities Philippines Awards for Best Practices in eGovernance is to encourage the effective delivery of services, thereby giving chance to other local government units (LGU) to replicate the best practices of other LGUs.

She said the online application of cedula was submitted under the government to customer empowerment category.

Last March, the city government started the online application of cedula after seeing the long queue of people every day to secure cedula.

“Online na atong application sa cedula. If you don’t have mobile data sa imong phone, naa ray kiosk pod sa office where a staff will assist you sa pag apply online. Naa rapod ta’y free wi-fi connection if ganahan ka sa phone nimo mag-apply,” Morelos said.

She believed that the delivery of basic services about the issuance of cedula has been proven effective now that they have shifted online.

Before, people would complain because of the long lines before they can get their community tax certificates, Morelos said.

Now that the application is online, Morelos said people have appreciated that they only need to wait for about five minutes for the payment and release of their cedulas.

“Paspas na gyud karon kay igo naman ka mo ari sa City Hall to pay and no need na mag-interview kay naa na ang information sa imong pag-apply online,” she added.

Every month, she said the city government collects millions of pesos from the fees for the issuance of cedula.

As of the month of August, Morelos said the City Treasurer’s Office has collected at least P4.5 billion from business tax, real property tax, and other fees.

She remained confident that the office will reach the P6.1 billion target collection this year because of the intensified collection of taxes of the city. (FREEMAN)