Abby Ongyanco-Lim

All the while I thought my employer SSS number, also serves as my SSS Number. It was only after accompanying my Dad to get an SSS id that I learn that I am not yet a SSS Member. My being an Employer with SSS Number is totally different from having a SSS Number individually.

Anyway, I am now processing my husband and my SSS Membership. Before anything else, I need to obtain a Birth Certificate from National Statistics Office (NSO).

As I don’t have the time to go to National Statistics Office and dreading the long lines, I decided to do the request online via http://www.ecensus.gov.ph.

So, that’s what I did. Tried the http://www.ecensus.gov.ph. The site was a little bit confusing. I think the webmaster need to do a more user-friendly.

As not to confuse oneself, all one need to do the following

1. Click the Request button on the left menu
2. Fill up your name (as the requester) and contact details
3. Then select type of request (birth, marriage or death certificate)
4. Fill up the information needed
5. Review and submit request
6. Print the Acknowledgment information that contains either Batch Request Number (for multiple request) or Request Reference Number (for single request)

Since I am requesting birth certificate for myself and my husband, I have the batch request number.

Too bad, the online payment gateway is not available since March 2007. I was able to try this service in year 2005 when I requested for a copy of my Marriage Certificate.

Anyway, one can pay it via Banco de Oro or Unionbank. Since, I am an account holder of Unionbank and has an online banking access. I paid my e-Census request via Unionbank Online Payment Facility. It was breeze. All I did was just login to my Unionbank account. Clicked payment then search for the biller - e-Census. When found, I just typed in the information required which is the Batch Request Number or Request Reference Number. Viola! Payment confirmed.

I paid a total of P630.00 (P315.00 for each request of Birth Certificate).

Right now, I am checking the status of my request via e-census.gov.ph since they had this facility at their website.

The status still says “Waiting for payment”… Perhaps just like regular clearing days, it will take three days for my payment to be reflected. Well, let’s see how it goes.