In every transaction, the receipt is more important than the subject of the sale.

When you buy a television in the mall and for some reason the screen only flashes black and white, the personnel will probably look for the receipt first, above everything else. They wont replace your TV when you bring the TV alone, but they will gladly replace it when you bring it along with the receipt. The same concept applies to government transactions, so its extremely important for the public officer or employee to issue an official receipt. Without a receipt, there would be no proof of a transaction or no proof of the service, which will undoubtedly create bigger problems from there. Such was the case last February 19, when a complainant informed the Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB) that he gave his Social Security contributions to an employee of the Social Security System (SSS) office in Roxas Boulevard. The employee received the cash, but failed to issue a receipt. The complainant followed up through text, but the employee continued to hold the money, saying that he had to compute the complainants penalties for paying late. Another complainant called the CCB, saying that she requested a notarized copy of an Affidavit of Loss from the Legal Department of the Local Government Unit in Pasay City. She said she paid P200 but the legal department failed to issue any receipt. A complainant also texted the CCB last March 7, this time pointing to an employee of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Taytay for selling overpriced coin boxes for taxi drivers. The complaint alleged that those selling the coin boxes failed to issue official receipts and that these coin boxes or pouches, which were made of plastic, can be bought outside the LTFRB for a meager price of P3 to P4 only. The CCB relayed the concerns to the respective offices, and these offices acted promptly on the concerns. The SSS office reached out to complainant #1, telling him that they already were conducting an investigation on the employee who failed to issue an official receipt. The Legal Department of the Pasay LGU sent Atty. Severo C. Madrona, City Legal Officer, who said that their office offers legal services, but those services do not include the issuance of an Affidavit of Loss. Because these services were not offered by their office, says Atty. Madrona, these were not included in their Citizens Charter, and the transaction might probably have occurred between the client and a public employee without the knowledge of the Mayor. Atty. Madrona requested for an official copy of the complaint so that they could investigate on the employee. As for the complaint regarding the coin boxes, Ms. Sonia Reyes, Chief of the Administrative Division of LTFRB Taytay sent a lengthy letter reply and apology to the CCB, which was coursed to the complainant. She explained that the coin boxes were a requirement in the process of resealing taxi meters since 2004, as mandated by the LTFRB decision regarding the Taxi Fare Increase in Metro Manila. She points to greedy individuals who take advantage of the situation for selling overpriced coin boxes, and those individuals are probably not their employees. According to Section 8 of Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti Red Tape Act (ARTA), all government offices and agencies shall accept written applications, requests, and/or documents being submitted by clients of the ofices or agencies. The responsible officer shall acknowledge receipt of such application and/or request by printing clearly thereon his/her name, the unit where he/she is connected with, and the time and date of receipt. A violation of such process in issuing the receipt merits a 30-day suspension without

pay and mandatory attendance in a Values Orientation Program for the first offense, a three-month suspension without pay for the second offense, and dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public service on the third offense. In case any of your government officials and employees fail to issue an official receipt, you are urged to report such incident to the CCB. The CCB is accessible via mobile, telephone, or the internet. For complaints, suggestions, and reports, kindly call 09088816565 or 16565. Complaints can also be filed at the CCB website (http://www.contactcenterngbayan.gov.ph).