The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has joined the ranks of international and local organizations with the best business communication practices after it recently bagged the prestigious Philippine Quill Award for 2014 for its entry, Contact Center ng Bayan: Ang Sumbungan ng Bayan – Communication Strategies for Customer Relations.
The Philippine Quill Award is given by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines to companies that have achieved the highest global standard for business communication practices.
The CSC received the Award of Merit (Division 2: Communication Management – Category 15: Customer Relations) for its communication campaign to promote the Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB) as the government-wide feedback mechanism through which citizens can request for information and assistance on government frontline service procedures, as well as report commendation, complaints, and feedback.
The category distinguishes excellence in customer relations via strategies or ongoing programs targeted at customer audiences that educate, inform, engage or otherwise connect the organization and its employees to the customer. It also recognizes programs that value relationship management, experience standards or appreciation demonstrated through communication and marketing elements.
“The Philippine Quill Awards is the country’s most prestigious and comprehensive awards in business communication and it is a big honor to be part of the crème de la crème in terms of communication management,” said CSC Commissioner Robert S. Martinez during the awarding ceremony held March 9 at the Grand Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila.
Launched in September 2012 to support the implementation of Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA), the CCB serves as the government’s main helpdesk which can be accessed via hotline number 1-6565, SMS to 0908-8816565, or its website, www.contactcenterngbayan.gov.ph.
Through the Commission’s awareness campaign, the CCB has recorded significant increase in the volume of incoming calls, text messages, and e-mails. From less than 500 transactions from September to November 2012, over 2,000 transactions were recorded in January 2013 and the numbers increased in the next months. As of December 2014, the CCB has attended to a total of 97,315 transactions.
Growing support
“This Quill Award affirms the CSC’s success in engaging the public and various sectors to actively participate in the improvement of government frontline services,” added Commissioner Martinez.
Starting with six partner agencies during its pilot run in 2012, more government agencies are now linked with CCB: the CSC, National Computer Center, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Land Registration Authority, Social Security System, Department of Science and Technology’s PAGASA, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Not only did the campaign attract more clients for the CCB, it was also able to get the attention of local and international partners. In July 2014, CCB was chosen by the Office of Senator Bam Aquino as its main partner in implementing the Walang Asenso Sa Kotong or WASAK campaign which aims to help micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs with their business-related transactions with the government. The partnership places premium on complaints on kotong (extortion) and suhol (bribery) relayed through the CCB.
The CCB is also set to become the Philippines’ ARTA commitment to the Open Government Partnership (OGP), an international platform for domestic reformers resolved to making their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens. Initiated in 2011, the OGP has 64 participating countries, including Australia, South Korea, Canada, the United States, Indonesia, and a number of European countries.
source: Civil Service Commission
