Success stories from the 8888 hotline

MANILA, Philippines – Aside from his fight against illegal drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte has also vowed to eliminate corruption in government. Among his plans is to reduce processing time or “red tape” and set up a grievance hotline that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

On August 1, President Duterte launched the 8888 citizen complaints hotline. It is currently handled by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), which is also in charge of the 1-6565 “Contact Center ng Bayan” hotline that has been active since 2012.

Since its launch up to September 18, the 8888 hotline has handled 11,347 calls, or an average of 232 calls a day. The CSC hired 10 more personnel, bringing to 23 the total number of agents who receive and process these calls. They work on rotation for 3 shifts to meet the hotline’s 24/7 demand.

The top 3 complaints reported to 8888 are related to slow processes, failure to act on requests, and unclear procedures. (READ: 8888 hotline: Most complaints lodged vs SSS, LTO)

These complaints are then forwarded to concerned agencies for immediate action. By creating a channel where citizens can air their specific grievances regarding government services, the CSC gets agencies and offices to respond to citizen complaints. 

Here are some of the success stories from the 8888 hotline from the past 3 months, as shared by the CSC to Rappler.

Follow-ups on pending requests

Over-the-phone transactions prove to be a convenient way to track the status of requested services. For instance, senior citizens have used the 8888 hotline to follow up benefit claims from government offices.

 

More information on unclear procedures

It pays to ask for clarifications to get what we are looking for. See how the queries below on services by the Social Security System (SSS) and the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) have been acted upon via the 8888 hotline.

 

Coordination with offices in government

With many national and local offices in government, information sometimes gets lost along the way. This can be troublesome, especially for overseas Filipino workers. The 8888 hotline has helped them get in touch with the correct offices for their concerns.

 

With the complex bureaucracy embedded in government, red tape is not necessarily a product of corrupt practices but a weak infrastructure to support government operations. 

A service hotline like 8888 can help ease these systemic and administrative problems. – Rappler.com

Source: Contact Center ng Bayan Report of the Civil Service Commission – Public Assistance and Information Office

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