Category: e-Government

Name of the Organization

Department of Social Welfare and Development

Name of the Office/Unit that leads the implementation of this best practice entry

Caraga Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens

Focus Area of the Best Practice

Digitization and New Technologies

Date the best practice was first implemented

01 January 2016 – up to the present

Summary of the Best Practice

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office (FO) in Caraga is using technology to make the disbursement of social pension of indigent senior citizens easier. Pertinent information about the social pension beneficiary–from personal details, inclusions, and exclusions to the program, to their payrolls and validations–are now digitized for easy tracking.

The information system aims to:

• Establish accurate payroll by eliminating double or multiple entries of names of the beneficiaries;
• Generate efficient physical and financial reports; and
• Promote transparency, especially on the delivery of stipends.

It has the following key features:

• Biometric registration and verification (usage discontinued due to the pandemic)
• Cross-matching of names not limited to the exact spelling
• Data logs about the senior citizen/beneficiary

Currently, it serves as the very core of the program implementation as the data/reports to the DSWD Central Office or any other concerned offices are from the system.

The Challenge

The social pension program for indigent senior citizens is an important program but its implementation has faced a lot of challenges, including data accuracy, payment disbursement, report generation, and stakeholder engagement.

Data Accuracy

1. There was a limited number of technical working staff of the Regional Social Pension Unit (RSPU) to manage the data of the increasing number of beneficiaries from 9,375 in CY 2011 to 62,235 in CY 2015.
2. The accurate data reflected in the payroll have been compromised because of the manual checking of the reports/ data from local government units (LGUs), most especially on the checking of complete names, birthday, age, sex, address, etc., on the submitted waitlisted and delisted report by the LGUs, which resulted in multiple entries of names across the region.

Payment

1. Due to inaccurate data, double or multiple payments for one beneficiary were reported.
2. Paymasters found it hard to verify and identify the paid beneficiaries from one area to another.
3. Considering that no device was installed to identify and verify the true identity of the beneficiaries, there were instances when somebody holding the same ID claimed the stipend.

Report generation

1. It took several hours to generate the paid and unpaid beneficiaries.
2. There were difficulties in generating a summary of the report, such as the number of Pantawid Pamilya members/beneficiaries, number of indigenous peoples (IP) beneficiaries, number of male and female, number of bedridden and sickly, and the number of waitlisted and delisted beneficiaries with corresponding remarks.

Local Government Units / Partner / Stakeholder

1. The LGU staff claimed to need a source of information about the history of the beneficiary in the program, such as unclaimed quarters and personal information.
2. The LGU staff claimed to have no accessible reference regarding the status of the beneficiaries in the program. They need to look for the approved documents for every transaction to answer each client’s concerns.
3. The Focal Person has no accessible reference for the names of senior citizens endorsed for the waitlist to the Field Office. Instead, they need to scan their previously submitted reports to provide an exact answer to the clients, which resulted in repeated reports.

Walk-in Clients / Program Beneficiaries

• Regional Office manually counts or tracks beneficiaries with complicated issues such as inclusion and exclusion errors.

Solution and Impact

The developer-focused first on the very core of the implementation of the program, which is the generation of payroll and prevention of duplicate entries of beneficiaries in the payroll because it is always the concern of the Commission on Audit through Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM), and from there, the developer slowly bonus features based on the request of the staff/persons involved in the program to boost productivity in the office. The office conducted consultations and dialogues with LGUs.

The information system is deployed and can only be accessed internally within the DSWD Field Office Caraga and has consistently been used from 2016 to the present.

DSWD Region XI office conducted benchmarking last 2018 to determine what the information system is capable of. DSWD Region X also did a benchmark in July 2022. Both regional offices wanted to replicate the system if deemed appropriate for their needs.

Before using the system, the office had 13 staff working in different program areas–from the frontlines to the finance division. Due to huge additional slots in the program last 2016, all the staff is forced to create payroll to catch up with the deadline of conducting the payouts quarterly. During that time, the staff always worked overtime since the manual creation of payrolls was time-consuming.

Results/Impact

• RSPU staff does not have to render overtime to complete urgent reports.
• The system reduces human labor, especially in preparing payroll for eligible beneficiaries.
• It helps the timely and efficient generation of physical and financial reports.
• SPInS also helps the RSPU disseminate complex information to partners and stakeholders.
• RSPU staff can now provide an accurate answer as to the status of the application and reasons for delisting to walk-in clients, even in the absence of the payroll in charge through an audit trail.
• Reduced cases of double and multiple entries across the region allow other eligible senior citizens to be included in the program, especially those that need prioritization.
• Easier retrieval of files and information needed.
• Promotes healthier working conditions and simplifies tasks, especially to the payroll in charge and the LGU focal person.
• It contributes to speedy transactions and the timely release of stipends.
• It eliminates the risks of releasing stipends to non-beneficiaries.
• It allows for establishing and managing a comprehensive database of eligible indigent senior citizens as a basis for planning and decision-making at RSPU’s level and in the LGU.
• It does not require additional manpower to do tasks, making it cost-effective.

Next Steps

Currently, the Information Technology Officer is developing a new version of the system that not only caters to the program’s needs but also the needs of the office that implements the program. Some of the features are the following:

• System Integrations within the DSWD FO Caraga (Finance, HR/Personnel, etc.)
• Direct SMS messaging to the beneficiaries
• Standard Operating Procedure tracking
• System access outside the network of DSWD FO Caraga
• Mobile access with offline access
• Asynchronous Execution of Task

Milestones

The information system had the following awards:

• 2022 2nd Best Knowledge Management Initiative (National PRAISE)
• 2022 1st Best Knowledge Management Initiative (Regional PRAISE)
• 2020 2nd Best Knowledge Management Initiative (Regional PRAISE)
• 2019 2nd Best Knowledge Management Initiative (Regional PRAISE)

Implementing Agency

City Government of Tuguegarao

Year Implemented

2018-Present

Themes

Digitization & New Technologies, Perspectives on Productivity, Governance, and Development

General Description

The Tuguegarao City Command Center is a monitoring center with a centralized communication system equipped with state-of-the-art ICT solutions and facilities that can respond to incidents and emergencies 24/7.

The Command Center is manned by the city’s Rescue Team and representatives from the Traffic Management Group, Public Safety and Security Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Background and Problem

Being the catch basin of waters surrounding the Cagayan Valley, Tuguegarao City is extremely prone to flood and is mapped as one of the most vulnerable to natural hazard-triggered disasters in the region (Philippine Information Agency, 2011). The Natural Hazards Risk Atlas 2015 also reports the city as second among the 10 most at-risk to natural hazards globally. On top of these issues, disseminating warnings and relaying calls for assistance in the area have been a persistent challenge given their lack of a centralized communication and emergency response system. To mitigate the risks, the city government established the Tuguegarao City Command Center in 2018.

Solution and Impact

Built under the leadership of Hon. Atty. Jefferson Pattaui, through Executive Order No. 28-2018, the Tuguegarao City Command Center was built to help ensure safety and emergency preparedness in the city, not only for natural hazard-triggered disasters but for accidents and man-made disasters as well. Among its services are police assistance, hospital care, fire suppression, and search-and-rescue services.

Specifically, the Command Center aims “to gather and process all information required to manage and control all types of incidents efficiently and effectively for the safety and protection of the communities and properties [through] communication and collaboration with the PNP, BFP, Rescue 1111, barangay officials, and other concerned agencies.”

To achieve this goal, the Command Center was built with a fiber optic-wide aerial network and its own hotline. It maintains 117 high-definition bullet-type PTZ (Pan, Tilt, and Z) closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed strategically in all 49 barangays of the city. The cameras are also equipped with facial recognition technology and night vision allowing for clear videos even in low light conditions. This feature also enables their staff to do round-the-clock monitoring of the city and access to recordings of all incidents.

Since its establishment in 2018, there has been a substantial increase in the number of calls. From the annually reported 3,123 calls received in 2018, it has increased to a total of 15,417 calls received in 2019. The 500% increase could be due to the residents’ growing confidence with the project.

Records also show an increase in the number of incidents responded to, from 6,628 in 2020 to 31,922 as of November 2021. Moreover, the systematic communication process of the command center has also decreased the response time to 3 minutes or even lower. Notably, the quickest recorded response time to date is 1 minute and 18 seconds—from calling the hotline to the touchdown of the responder in the incident area. These statistics can also indicate a growing efficiency and effectiveness to its implementation.

The Tuguegarao City Command Center continues to evolve and develop its services even during the pandemic and it ensures that its personnel complies with the protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.

The innovative Tuguegarao City Command Center has the following notable features:

Dispatch System

The Command Center utilizes a dashboard system that maintains records of incidents responded to, which also provides the footage and time response. Reports are classified according to type and are searchable by keywords for easier retrieval. Any related documents may be requested and accessed in less than a minute. The dashboard system caters to all kinds of incidents, including COVID-19 vaccination calls. Residents may also contact the City Command Center for COVID-19 and vaccination concerns.

Footage Request

The management of the control center also allows citizens to request access to available footage subject to existing data privacy laws. While clients, upon their request, are allowed to view CCTV footage for valid reasons, recording, and copying of the footage are not permitted. Before being allowed access, concerned parties are required to submit a blotter report for the request to be approved. Footages are stored in the CCTV room with restricted access even among command center personnel. The data captured by the CCTVs are automatically deleted after 30 days unless they are to be retained for legal purposes. The management of the Command Center strictly observes the delicate balance between public welfare and the right to privacy. With the provision of high definition footage, the center resolved various incidents such as recovery of lost items, resolving traffic accidents, and other criminal cases in the city.

Wifi Ko, Wifi Mo

Along with the development of the Command Center, the city administration managed to provide fast, reliable, and free internet access to the city residents. There are 101 access points installed in 57 locations, including schools, government offices, barangay halls, and other public spaces.

Live Traffic Update and Analysis

The distribution of the local internet connection around the city has also made live traffic updates easily accessible via Facebook and Messenger from 5:15 PM onwards. Moreover, the command center also utilizes intelligent video analytic software to monitor and manage pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the city’s main roads, intersections, entry and exit points, as well as populated areas such as government buildings, public markets, school zones, and church premises. And together with the live traffic advisory, this helps ease the city’s traffic situation, having reportedly reduced travel time by 50%, and it also enables those on the road to make informed decisions about their commute.

Flood monitoring

Through its high-definition CCTVs and 24/7 live monitoring, the Command Center also provides real-time water level alerts and updates of the Buntun Bridge and Pinacanauan Rivers to all barangay captains, the City Disaster Reduction and Management Office (CDRMO), and other concerned authorities in times of possible flooding. This function reduces property losses by timely operation of flood control and measures, especially in low-lying areas. In addition, real-time updates help avoid the spread of fake news; previously, in an incident where 45 out of 49 barangays were flooded, the Buntun Bridge was claimed to be no longer passable when in fact, it still was. But with the current communication system, the information delivered became accurate.

Tuguegarao City Online Checkpoint Registration

Online Checkpoint Registration (OCR) is a travel management tool designed to cater to travelers or visitors entering the city. Created at the surge of COVID-19 cases in the city, it was immediately used after the IATF announced the removal of checkpoints and mandatory 14-day quarantine nationwide. This system aims to contact-trace and monitor individuals entering the city’s vicinity. It is the first online system developed in the country and was implemented before the S-PASS was introduced. Details required in the form include one’s place of origin, barangay of destination, contact number, date of arrival, health declaration, and purpose of visit. In total, it has recorded 15,641 registrants since April 2021, including locals who went home to Tuguegarao City. Watermarked OCR receipts are sent via email after successfully filling out the form.

Contact Tracing Diagram Report

A contact tracing center was formed at the city Command Center as another initiative in response to the pandemic. The office came up with its own format of report featuring a contact tracing diagram that focuses on visual data of all possible cases and their close contacts. It also provides a shareable Google map showing all possible cases in the vicinity.

Milestones

Tuguegarao City recorded zero casualties when Typhoon Ompong happened in 2018 and after a flooding on 6 December 2019 that affected 56,387 people. The last onslaught of a mega-flood occurred in the city last November 2020. While it damaged several properties and affected more than a hundred thousand people, only two casualties were recorded.

On the other hand, reports showed a decrease in the crime rate from the monthly average of 42 in 2017 to 39 in 2019. Relatively, time response and solution efficiency increased from 47.27% (2017) to 79.92% (2019), to 86.05% (2020), and 90.48% as of December 2021.

In light of the successful implementation of its services, the Command Center has also been attributed in increasing the confidence of the city’s prospective investors. As a result, the city’s business and investment climate has since improved.

The Tuguegarao City Command Center championed the “Best in LGU Empowerment” (City Level) in the last 2020 Digital Governance Award (G2C). Similarly, “Wifi ko, Wifi mo” was also nationally recognized with its nomination for the “Best in Customer Empowerment Award” (City Level) in the same event.

“The Tuguegarao City Command Center has become a source of pride for the people. It was recognized as one of the city’s best practices, which the other neighboring cities are starting to emulate,” said Mr. Angelo Suyu, former head of the Command Center.

To further expand its services, the city government also plans to create a mobile command center to help ensure the delivery of services even to areas that are hardly reached by CCTV cameras and big events such as festivals. The said mobile command center is envisioned to become a bus, trailer, or van that will be used exactly like the main workspace. Likewise, it will be thoroughly equipped with industry-standard technology using GPS drone technology.

Sources

Banguilan, Jeanette; Buslig, Rhea-Lou; Lemmao, Aprilyn, (2018, February). The Compliance of Tuguegarao City in the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Law. International Journal of Advanced Research Management and Social Sciences, Vol. 7 No.2. Retrieved December 20, 2021, from https://garph.co.uk/IJARMSS/Feb2018/14.pdf.

Tuguegarao City Command Center. (2022, May 2) Live Traffic Updates [Video]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/tugueC5

Tuguegarao City Local Government. (2020, December 11). Digital Governance Award: Command Center [Video]. https://tuguegaraocity.gov.ph/

Tuguegarao City. (2022, April 21). Tuguegarao City [Video]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/1231460139/videos/pcb.2247889662030885/704361173936077

Philippine News Agency. (2020, 24 November). Local execs propose measures to lower Cagayan’s disaster risk. https://www.preventionweb.net/news/philippines-tuguegarao-city-organizes-disaster-management-council

Natural Hazards Risk Atlas. (2015, 4 March). Which cities are most exposed to natural hazards? https://www.maplecroft.com/insights/analysis/which-cities-are-most-exposed-to-natural-hazards/

Photos and Videos

Organization

Pangasinan State University

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Strategy, Citizens / Customers

Year Implemented

July 2020

This is a GBPR entry

Summary

Due to the current pandemic, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) advised Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to adopt the flexible learning strategy. As a response, Pangasinan State University (PSU) administration partnered with local government units (LGUs) to establish PSU-LGU ICT Konek, a learning space with an internet connection to students of PSU within the locality could avail. This project was able to support around 1,000 students through the establishment of 37 centers distributed across 26 municipalities.

Background and Problem

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) released seven CHED-COVID advisories containing guidelines for effectively implementing the academic operations of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

In particular, CHED COVID Advisory No. 7, released on 24 May 2020, contained the instruction for all HEIs to adopt the flexible learning strategy in delivering instruction by ensuring appropriate (1) Facility Delivery System, (2) Faculty Complement, and (3) Student Support. Further, the guidelines also encouraged HEIs to maximize the use of technology to support teaching and learning. The advisory suggested actions such as the determination of the level of technology to be used for the delivery of programs based on the connectivity of the students, the establishment of a multi-media or learning resource center to provide support to faculty in the development of IT-enabled or IT mediated instructional materials, utilization or access of available open educational resources, and the utilization of a learning management system.

Solution and Impact

Initially, they surveyed the students’ needs regarding adopting the flexible learning modality. Their survey showed that the majority of their students had problems with internet connectivity and the availability of gadgets.

As a response, the PSU administration came up with a proposal to partner with local government units (LGUs) in establishing a learning space with an internet connection to which students of PSU within the locality could avail. The project was later named PSU-LGU ICT Konek- a Bayanihan project co-implemented by the university and the LGUs, in response to the national government’s call to “Heal as One.”

With 37 ICT “Konek centers” in 26 municipalities, about a thousand students could use the learning spaces to attend to the requirements of flexible learning. The LGUs provided the project’s physical structure (learning space), while PSU provided the computers they pulled out from the computer laboratories of their different campuses. And PSU also provided the internet connection and maintenance of the Center. With the establishment of these learning spaces, students residing near the centers did not need to buy their gadgets or allot money to buy cell phone loads to participate in online learning.

Milestones

Per BOR Resolution Number 91, series 2020, the project PSU-LGU ICT Konek became an official project of the university. Through the campus extension coordinators, the university visited various municipalities and discussed the details of the project. Afterward, the Memoranda of Agreement were fortified to make the project an official joint project of both PSU and the LGUs.

Organization

Department of Foreign Affairs

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Citizens / Customers Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management Operations

Year Implemented

15 May 2020

This is a GBPR 2021 Recipient

Summary

The Integrated Online Consular Service System for Appointment Scheduling, Service Delivery Monitoring, and Client Data Analytics was designed by the Philippine Embassy in Canberra to be a client-focused digital platform that evolves the standard appointment system into a holistic system that covers end-to-end service monitoring and delivery, provides data analytics to help anticipate challenging situations and make data-based plans and improvements.

Background and Problem

The Philippine Embassy in Australia’s services is open to the over 300,000 Filipinos living in the seven states/territories of Australia, especially the 100,220 Filipinos residing in areas under the consular jurisdiction of the Embassy.

The Philippine Embassy had a walk-in policy for all services before this initiative. This became unsustainable because of long waiting times and crowding during peak days, the unpredictable number of services and service hours per day, and the rapid increase in the workload of frontline personnel who were also handling back-office operations and addressing public queries.

The previous processes rely heavily on the client (a) remembering and understanding the procedures for releasing their passport and (b) constantly checking the Embassy website or calling the Embassy for an update on their passport. Alongside this, the Embassy staff needs to manually retrieve the consular documents each time a client queries are received on the status of their application.

During disasters like the bushfire crisis in Australia and the current COVID-19 pandemic, basic statistics about Filipinos in the various states/territories of Australia can be crucial in planning courses of action and providing urgent advice in critical situations, if needed.

Solution and Impact

The system was activated on 15 October 2020, covering the first three consular services: passport, notarial, legalization, and NBI fingerprinting. A test model was developed per consular service. Both management and staff members individually tested the model. Further consultative meetings would be held with the developer for technical adjustments.

Alongside this, the Embassy conducted an information dissemination campaign to inform the public of the expected changes with a step-by-step guide on navigating the system.

The system unifies the management of consular services providing a more comprehensive overview of consular operations. From an organizational perspective, the system produces quantitative data sets on clients and services, which can form the basis for future operational improvements and support policy formulation by the mother agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. Among others, the system generates the following data:

1. Number and kinds of services availed per day, month, or year. The Embassy can determine if additional appointment slots or personnel are needed for particular periods or services at any given time;
2. Disaggregated data on clients’ locations. As the Embassy’s clients can come from any of Australia’s seven states and territories, this feature allows the Embassy to prepare in advance if clients are coming from a state or area with active COVID-19 cases to provide additional care or consideration for clients coming from far away places The data will also be crucial during disasters and emergencies in a particular state in Australia.
3. The system also allows supervisors to see the progress of a particular service’s completion and identify the stage and personnel where a backlog has occurred. It encourages accountability and provision of intervention or assistance on an objective basis.
4. Gender-based data. In line with GAD, disaggregated data regarding PH-based gender is also available.

The consular services covered as of 07 July 2021 are:

1. Passport applications;
2. Notarial and legalization of documents;
3. Fingerprinting for NBI clearance; and
4. Overseas voter registration. Plans are ongoing to integrate dual citizenship and civil registry services within the month.

The system also provides flexibility and reliability in the work of the Embassy as any consular personnel can navigate the system. The system will also be particularly useful when the Embassy is forced to implement alternative work arrangements as contingency arises. For the part of the consular clients, it provides transparency and predictability in the availability and delivery of service. This transparency, alongside buy-in from the personnel, contributed to improved performance and customer service orientation of Embassy staff, as seen in the feedback forms and various forms of appreciation expressed by clients.

Finally, the system allows the Embassy to send updates to a specific group of clients when needed. As the COVID situation remains fluid, the Embassy can provide updated advice to affected clients on new regulations or restrictions and any delay in service delivery.

Milestones

In June 2021, this system was recognized by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila as among the DFA Best Practices for 2021 – Foreign Service Post Category as part of the DFA Quality Management Service performance. Among the immediate results was improved efficiency and productivity of personnel due to the significant decrease in the number of phone calls and emails inquiring about consular services under the system. The information on each transaction is sent to clients automatically as a matter of standard operating procedure. The auto-generated emails also provide detailed information for clients. Frontline staff has observed a higher compliance rate with the requirements reducing the back-and-forth communications between staff and clients. The time saved was used by personnel to answer phone calls and emails on other matters and to provide higher customer service quality to in-person clients.

The Embassy is continuously developing the system based on a regular review to ensure it continues to meet the client’s expectations and serves the effective delivery of consular services. At the same time, the Embassy also strives to develop this system into one that meets the modern standards of business service delivery. The future developments include (a) the inclusion of all consular services, (b) automation of more functions, (c) the option for updates via text, and (d) generating greater customer feedback.

Organization

Civil Service Commission Regional Office II

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Citizens / Customers Operations

Year Implemented

2015

This is a GBPR 2021 Recognized Best Practice

Summary

The e-NOA and its enhanced version, the e-NOAv2, are specially designed to provide fast, accurate, and paperless notice of school and room assignments to examinees taking the Career Service Commission (CSC) examinations in Region 2 (ROII). This application, which was exclusively developed and used in CSC ROII, aims to lessen the costly and tedious task of manually preparing, sorting, and mailing school and room assignment notice to career service examinees.

Background and Problem

The Civil Service Commission, in its mandate to ensure that appointments in the civil service shall be made according to merit and fitness, administers the nationwide CSE-PPT twice a year. Before the inception of the e-NOA in 2013, the CSC ROII received an average of 10,000 examination applications in one examination period or an average of 20,000 examination applications for the whole year. During those times, the ESD manually sends notices of school and room assignments to examinees through snail mail. Considering the large number of applications, preparing, sorting, and mailing the individual notice of school and room assignments was an ordeal for the Division, which was then manned by only five staff. The time spent by the staff in doing these tasks has affected their efficiency in performing the more important aspects of exam administration. Moreover, it was observed that thousands of mails have been “returned to sender” as the addressees have either moved places or did not provide the correct mailing address, thereby affecting the number of examinee attendance.

Solution and Impact

The e-NOAv2 offers the CS examinees the easiest, fastest, and cheapest way to obtain their school and room assignments for the CS exam. All examinees, including those in remote areas without internet connectivity, can obtain information about their school and room assignments through the automatic sending of NOA. If the examinees changed their contact number or did not receive the NOA, they can simply request NOA through the CSC regional and field offices’ hotlines, to which the action officers may reply using the eNOAv2.

The e-NOAv2 works by installing the application on the laptop or desktop computer, android device, or mobile phone of all field offices and ESD personnel in the region so that they can be able to quickly disseminate the NOA in their respective jurisdiction or reply to queries on school and room assignment any time. Also, during the actual examination day, all testing centers are equipped with a pre-installed e-NOAv2 application to facilitate the quick search of room assignments of examinees, if needed.

The CSC ROII has observed a considerable decrease in exam administration costs. The cost of mailing allotted for each examinee was ten pesos. Hence, with 10,000 examinees, the Office saves more than Php 100,000 for mailing services using e-NOA. The e-NOAv2 has contributed to the environment by ensuring zero waste. The CSC ROII has also observed a boost in productivity from ESD staff since the tedious task of manual NOA preparation has been removed.

Furthermore, the CSC ROII communicated with its clients clearly and effectively, ensuring an error-free NOA because of limited human intervention. More importantly, it has facilitated locating school and room assignments on the part of the examinees as they receive their NOA at least a week before the examination day, giving them ample time to visit the school before the test. Moreover, the e-NOAv2 has an added feature that uses Google Maps to help examinees locate their school assignments.

Considering that almost everyone already possesses mobile phones, the CSC ROII has recognized that the e-NOA/e-NOAv2 is the most efficient and effective way to reach its examinees. As a result of the fast and reliable information given to examinees on their school and room assignments, the ESD has observed a remarkable improvement in the number of absent examinees during the examination day.

Milestones

The e-NOA, then later the e-NOAv2, is a distinct practice identifiable to CSC ROII. Because of its perceived advantages and impact, the Examination, Recruitment, and Placement Office (ERPO) of the CSC Central Office and the other Regional Offices have acknowledged the usefulness and efficiency of the e-NOA/e-NOAv2 in improving exam administration. As such, the proponent of the innovation, Mr. Anthony Jay L. Barruga, has been repeatedly invited during learning interventions at the CSC Central Office to share about the e-NOA and requested for possible replication of the application to be used by the other regional offices. Because of these innovations, Mr. Barruga was recognized and conferred the CSC PRAISE Gawad Kahusayan Award in 2015, and the CSC ROII PRAISE Most Outstanding Dependability Award in 2018. He was again awarded the CSC PRAISE Gawad Kahusayan in 2019 for the e-NOAv2.

Aiming to improve the innovation continuously, Mr. Barruga gathers feedback and studies the possibilities of upgrading the features of the current e-NOAv2. As an added new feature, the e-NOAv2 functions as a web-based application wherein information dissemination may be done through e-mail. Further, the e-NOAv2 is now incorporated in the Examination Application Information System (EAISY 2013), a system used in encoding examination applications and serves as a database of information of registered examinees.