The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday, October 2, has started to issue the multipurpose clearance. Unlike the single clearance document, the new clearance can now be used “for whatever legal” purpose. “The Unified NBI Clearance system is our answer to the needs of our people who are faced with the modern demands for record-keeping and civilian identification… Once the NBI clears an applicant, he is cleared for whatever purpose,” Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II earlier said. Applicants can acquire the multipurpose clearance for a fixed fee of P115 after submitting a complete application form at clearance.nbi.gov.ph.
In 2015, NBI turned away from ‘walk-in application scheme’ and fully implemented its online registration and appointment system.
Department Circular No. 017 of Department of Justice (DOJ) cited that the NBI is directed to “change the format of all NBI issued clearance for it to bear the phrase ‘issued for whatever legal purpose’ instead of specific purpose.”
The NBI, the DOJ said, has to scrap all existing format of clearances and replace those with multi-purpose clearance. The department’s circular was signed by Justice Sec. Vitaliano Aguirre II on Feb. 15.
This means that a person can now use the clearance for whatever legal purpose like employment or travel.
Aguirre said this is to “complement the directive of President Rodrigo R. Duterte for government services to be accessible to the public and lessen the expense entailed by Filipinos to avail such service.”
“The NBI clearance has been a forefront requirement for any transaction in various government agency or private institutions,” Aguirre said.
The agency’s partner payment centers include Bayad Center, MultiPay, 7-Eleven, ECPay, GCash and banks like BDO, Metrobank, BPI, LandBank, RCBC, ChinaBank, EastWest Bank, Union Bank, Security Bank, PNB and Development Bank of the Philippines.
