2 government offices implement eligibility system

PROFESSIONAL Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) signed Thursday a memorandum of agreement implementing the Online Verification of Eligibility System (Oves).

Oves provides for an e-Transacting facility for government offices checking the validity of professional eligibility of their rank-and-file employees and other appointees in government.

Click here for Election 2010 updates

What used to take one week to a month of waiting for a certification of eligibility in the CSC and verifying records of professionals at the PRC will now be serviced by the Oves through its website http://www.prcbaguio247.lan.cc.

The website was developed by the PRC for faster, reliable, secured and paperless verification of professional records.

The system will make the process of verification of records faster and more economical, benefiting thousands of government employees and applicants in government positions in the Cordillera region.

PRC Regional Director Teofilo Sison said other online transactions will also be developed by the agency to verify records of those not only in government service but also those who plan to work in private institutions as it may help them track down fraudulent papers submitted by those applying for work.

“Oves is not just intended to catch those with fake papers but also prevent them from entering government service,” Sison said.

The PRC has discovered fake nurses, midwives, accountants and medical technologists in the past years and cases have been filed against these individuals.

From January to March this year, there have been five cases of fake records discovered by both the PRC and the CSC. These offices are now gathering more evidence through the National Bureau of Investigation so appropriate legal action can be taken.

“We want to erase the notion that government services are slow and that it takes so much time to transact business in government offices,” said CSC Regional Director Rafael Marco.

Oves was first pilot tested in the CSC-Cordillera Administrative Region-Baguio city field office last month, in line with the PRC’s Anti-Red Tape Act citizen’s charter launched August last year.

Sison said other regions will be able to duplicate the project Since it was a locally initiated program. (JM Agreda)