Thursday, January 17, 2013

Tips on Filing a Barangay Clearance

In order to meet the requirements for certain government issued certifications such as a Postal I.D. and the Bureau of Immigration Annual Report (the mandatory yearly registration by foreigners with the BI), one necessary document to have is a barangay clearance showing proof of residence. The barangay BTW is the most basic and local unit in the Philippine governmental structure.  Its functions which also include some public works and safety are directed from the barangay hall, which is located in and operates at the community level. So there is likely such an office near you.

To receive a barangay clearance, you need to have lived at your current address for at least six months and must present the following documents and remittance at the  hall:

-A letter of residence address verification. If you live in a condominium, for example, you can obtain this letter from your building administration office. For other types of dwelling arrangements such as house rentals, contact the barangay hall for instructions.

-A cedulua (head tax) receipt, the fee for which is P55. You can pay this assessment at the barangay hall before  or while filing your clearance.  Sometimes this service is available in non-government sites like shopping malls.

-A photocopy of your passport photo / I.D. information page.

-A photocopy of your Bureau of Immigration I-Card (front and back). It's also advisable to bring the card itself with you in  the event that the clerk isn't satisfied with the clarity of the photocopy. 

-P65 for the processing fee per individual. So of course it would be P130 if your spouse is also filing at the same   time, as was the case for  my wife and me.   

As with most government offices, the best time to conduct your business at the barangay hall is immediately after the doors open to the public, usually 8am. If you submit your request at that time, the clearance may be ready the same day. The barangay hall performs numerous other services for the public and lines form very quickly. So if you snooze, you lose.

Maybe it's because the barangay hall is a neighborhood oriented office that, at least in my experience, the staff has been very helpful especially towards seniors. I hope that getting your clearance goes as smoothly for you as ours did for us.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

never had to do this , matter of fact i never even went to the barangay office, but i live in the province and every one knows me, my wife just has her aunt that works there get it but i have never needed it.

Secular Guy said...

Anonymous, thanks for your response. I know that things are more relaxed in the province where in some locales everybody knows everybody and / or is somehow interrelated. But in larger venues, there's more anonymity and more chance of impersonation and fraud. So there are more hoops to jump through as a result to confirm one's identification.

Clint Anthony said...

Hi sir. Just want to ask if you need to be registered voter in that barangay in order to get a Barangay residency/Barangay Certificate? I am just renting a room for 3 years now in that barangay. When I went to get a Barangay Clearance, they won't let us unless we are a registered voter in that municipality. My partner and I don't agree with it as we want to go back to our province and vote there. Should it be the case or its just their hidden agenda to collect more voters for them? Please text me asap with this number 09333006701 as we in a hurry to get a marriage license and we haven't decided yet if we will just register in that municipality. thanks, email: clagorra0529@gmail.com

Secular Guy said...

Hi Clint,

Sorry, I'm not able to text you. I will answer your question here instead. I've never heard of such a policy as that in your barangay to get a clearance. I'm not even a Philippine citizen and I was able to obtain a clearance without a problem even though I made it clear to the barangay chairman reqarding my status.

It seems to me that if you were denied a barangay clearance for the reason that you stated, then your rights are being violated. Perhaps you can contact the mayor's office or other officials for assistance with this matter.

Unknown said...

Good day sir. I just moved in to my new place here at Quezon city. Its only been a month but I need to get a baranggay clearance. Can I still get one if I present all the documents you mentioned. Thanks a lot in advance.

Secular Guy said...

Hi Jarom,

Thanks for your inquiry. As per my post, the usual required length of residence before you can obtain a barangay clearance is six months. But contact your barangay hall to see if they will waive this requirement for you. The worst that can happen is that they will say no.