Anywhere in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the process of acquiring command clearance is very long and tedious. The clearance processing itself adds to the long bureaucracy of processing various procedures including retirement. This holds true to the Philippine Navy where the manual system requires our personnel to secure clearances individually from an average of eleven clearance issuing offices. Likewise, the poor communication structure of these offices adds to the delay in its processing.
On 04 August 2009, the former Chief of Naval Staff, then COMMODORE FELICIANO ANGUE AFP observed this inefficiency of our clearance process. He gave an instruction to N6 for the development of an automated clearance system which will alleviate the burden of our personnel and help ease their retirement process.
This concern triggered the Navy to create the Philippine Navy Centralized Clearance System (PNCCS). It was developed by Naval Communications Electronics & Information Systems Center (NCEISC) starting October 2009 during the incumbency of CDR MARCOS Y IMPERIO PN, to provide the command with a fast, reliable and effective system for clearance administration and management. Since most staff takes part of its implementation, HPN Central Staff fund sharing scheme supported the budget requirements of the project. The system was satisfactorily tested on January 2011 at the offices of the stakeholders located at NSJF (Bonifacio Naval Station), Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City and Headquarters Philippine Navy, Roxas Blvd. Manila.
By 18 August 2010, HPN published SOP number 08 for the proper utilization and implementation of the PN Centralized Clearance System.
The task for NCEISC is to develop a system that will automate processing of clearances and shorten the tedious and long process. All clearance issuing offices must also be interconnected using available and feasible technology for the Philippine Navy. NCEISC must also provide a dedicated and accessible communications network particularly intended for clearance issuing offices to provide easier coordination with the other offices.
The system implementation utilizes the IP Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) of the Navy to provide connectivity between the server at HNCEISC in Cavite City, offices at HPN and offices within NSJF (or BNS) area. Units in the same location are linked to the Virtual Private Network using the IP DSLAM technology. Here, IP data of the different remote stations are transmitted through the existing military telephone network or local lines of the navy.
On 20 May 2011, NCEISC formally launched the system while its mother-unit Naval Sea Systems Command turned-over the system to the Office of the Naval Adjutant (OTNA) as the System Owner. The ceremony was graced by the Flag-Officer-in-Command himself, VADM ALEXANDER P PAMA AFP at the OTNA lobby which was simultaneously witnessed by the Naval Forces and other units of the Navy through the Video Teleconferencing System (VTS). PN personnel witnessed the actual system operation of the system which also demonstrate the connectivity to the PNCCS server as well as the actual printing of the a sample clearance… the first system generated clearance of PNCCS. The ten other clearance issuing offices involved in the system who also took part in the launching and turn-over are:
· AC of NS for Logistics N4, Munitions Control Branch
· AC of NS for Personnel N1, DLO Branch
· AC of NS for Personnel N1, Housing Branch
· The Naval Judge Advocate
· Supply Accountable Office
· The Naval Provost Marshall
· The Naval Inspector General
· The Naval Special Service Office
· The Naval Accounting Service Office, and
· Office of Ethical Standards and Public Accountability
With PNCCS:
· Securing a Command Clearance is faster
· Clearance applicant will only visit and settle requirement at the office he has deficiency
· Faster and efficient verification with the concerned office through the dedicated communications network
This also results to resource savings for the command amounting to approximately Four Million Pesos per year covering the following:
· travel fund and travel time for PN personnel that may result to better productivity for our personnel. This is equivalent to 33,000 EP man-days and 1,650 Officer man-days.
· at least one watch per office or 10 personnel from the clearance issuing offices saved to alleviate shortage of personnel since issuance of clearances are already centralized at OTNA.
· at least ten pages per person requesting for clearance because we reduced the number of individual clearance documents
· PN units or individuals will save on fuel since clearance processing is shortened and fewer offices need to be physically visited, and contribute in easing the shortage of POL allocation.
The same with any other systems, PNCCS has to undergo a transition period for the adjustment of both systems, including all personnel involved. After its launching, the system is presently undergoing parallel run, where personnel acquiring clearances will still use the traditional process which will go hand in hand with the automated process. In this stage, it will validate the accuracy of the flow as well as compare the equivalence of their respective outputs and objectives.
By 01 July 2011, all adjustments between the old and new system must have been ironed out and marks the full transfer to the automated process. Taking the word of the Flag Officer in Command, the system is ready but the most important factor is the people manning the system. However excellent is the automated system, if the offices will not do their job of populating the data - then the effort for the completion of the project will be useless.
By January of 2013, all Major Unit Adjutants should have respective access to their own portions in the PNCCS where it is projected to be further implemented as part of the Integrated Personnel Management System (IPMS) Phase 2. During this stage, verification and issuance of some clearances may be performed at the level of the Major Unit Adjutants. In the same manner that other systems will be integrated such as
· Medical Information Computerized System (MedICS)
· Property and Logistic Management System (PALMS)
· PN Senior Officers Record Tabulation System (PN SORTS)
· Military Appraisal Reporting Computerized System (MARCS)
· Civilian Employees Biometrics Information System (CEBIS)
· Personnel Administration, Training & Education Records iNtegration System (PATERnS)
The successful implementation of the system serves as the prototype of the IPMS. The PNCCS operation proves that the integration of different systems of the Navy is getting closer to reality. It is also a testimony to the realization of the NCEISC vision: ONE NAVY, ONE NETWORK – doing its part in the attainment of the overall vision to becoming a strong and credible Navy that our maritime nation can be proud of.
