The vulnerability of paper, the
security of A2A, and the peace of mind it offers
The
digital wave has taken over almost every aspect of society, causing a lot of
shift in the way we do things. It makes distance a non-issue, simplifies once
complicated processes, and enables us to access what we need with a click of a
button or a swipe of a finger. The digitalization of government systems in the
Philippines is no doubt still a work in progress, but the country has made
significant improvements ever since a digital strategy was formally established
to help these offices shift to an e-Government-focused system.
The
vulnerability of paper
One
of the most pressing concerns about relying on physical papers is the
inconvenience they bring to its stakeholders--in this case, the citizens who
need them. For example, those who need to authenticate their documents used to
deal with long queues and wait for hours just to get the papers they need.
Documents that can only be accessed in specified offices also put the
individual at an inconvenience because of the time and money that they have to
spend traveling to a specific government office branch.
These
delays in transactions can be painful for individuals who need their official
papers for important businesses. Often, people are forced to dedicate a certain
amount of time in their schedule just to take care of them, and leave some
extra room for all the possibilities of being delayed. An example is when a
request for a document gets denied because of insufficient requirements or a
mistake in details. Such situations can further stretch the process, causing
the person to waste more time in obtaining official papers.
Going
digital
To
date, a number of government agencies have made leaps in shifting to digital
processes. One remarkable example is the Land Registration Authority’s (LRA)
Anywhere-to-Anywhere or A2A Program. Launched in 2012, it allows landowners to
apply for the Certified True Copies (CTC) of their properties at any Registry
of Deeds near them.
The
A2A Program is focusing on providing faster and better service in response to
the common concern of landowners having to travel to far-flung places where the
Registry of Deeds office handling their titles are located. To address the
problem, the LRA focused on digitizing the CTCs of land titles and focused on
widening their network of offices where people can access them regardless of
where their original document is listed.
All
land titles are managed in a computerized and centralized registry, which
enables any Registry of Deeds office to access and create copies of them.
Moreover, landowners are also assured that they will not face any delays in
retrieving their titles because of the pre-scheduled time set for the pick-up
of their papers. It also makes the CTCs less prone to fraudulent activities by
minimizing the human element of processing them.
The
process of application is simple. The property owner simply needs to submit a
letter of request or transaction application form and claim their CTC of
property title at the nearest LRA Registry of Deeds office. At present, the
department has 164 satellite offices, including extension offices across all
islands. There are a total of 159 live offices that are ready to accommodate
landowners.
The
A2A Program is just one of the groundbreaking digital moves of the LRA. The
department is now set on expanding their reach nationwide to give landowners a
smoother experience in processing their documents. Also in the pipeline of
their digital plans are projects like the LRA Aksyon Agad Center, Lot Location
Service, and Parcel Verification Service. For more information about the A2A
program, visit the LRA website by clicking here.
You can also access the list of Registry of Deeds offices using this link.
