1
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
Introduced by 
SPEAKER FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ 
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ 
and 
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING 
THE 
NATIONAL 
INTEGRATED 
CLEARANCE 
SYSTEM, AS A CENTRALIZED DIGITAL FACILITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO 
REQUEST 
AND 
SECURE 
CLEARANCES 
FROM 
NATIONAL 
GOVERNMENT 
AGENCIES 
AND 
LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT 
UNITS, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Government agencies and employers in the private sector currently 
require the transacting public, such as job applicants and overseas Filipino 
workers, to furnish them with copies of at least two (2) government issued IDs 
then also requiring the same to secure clearances from the National Bureau of 
Investigation, the Philippine National Police, and their barangay of residence 
as a pre-requisite to process a request or an application.  
It is worth noting that national clearance-issuing agencies maintain 
different portals and processes, levy different fees, with each mutually requiring 
applicants to personally visit their offices for their photos or biometric 
information to be captured by the issuing agency.  The number of clearances 
vary as some institutions may also require clearances from the Sandiganbayan, 
the Judiciary, or the Ombudsman.  
August 14, 2023
11:47 am
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The fragmented and compartmentalized nature of the bureaucracy, the 
lack of interoperability, and the absence of a harmonized standard for sharing 
and exchanging information securely between agencies exacts a heavy burden 
on the public, on the one hand; and protracts the processes law enforcement 
and judicial agencies must adopt to secure credible and timely information, on 
the other hand. And due to this prevalent and persisting practice of storing their 
own copies of sensitive private information, the less protection each agency 
could extend to ensure the transacting public that their data is secure.  
 
The 
absence 
of 
an 
authoritative 
source 
of 
data, 
or 
the 
compartmentalization and fragmentation which persists in the way government 
manages information, does little to promote trust on the part of institutions that 
consume the issuances produced by government agencies; thus, rationalizing 
the need of institutions to require applicants to secure clearances from multiple 
sources.  
 
An important point to consider is that the cost of securing a single 
clearance alone already consumes close to 32.42% of the average daily 
household income. When incidental costs covering transportation, meals, 
lodging, and loss of wages are considered, the cost could easily surpass the 
average daily wage.  It must be noted that incidental costs will vary depending 
on the individual’s current residence and the location where clearances would 
have to be secured.  
 
A service that is accessible to government and private sector institutions 
to make securing clearances easier to acquire is needed.  The absence of such 
a service not only adds a burden to the transacting public, but also delays the 
processing and disposition of a request or application.  
 
To ease the transactions of the country’s workforce with national and 
local clearance-issuing agencies, an enabling law to build and sustain a service 


 
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platform that extends the usability and spurs the adoption of the National ID, 
among others, and consolidates all clearance-related transactions into a highly 
available and federated service, securely accessible to every citizen or 
permanent resident, regardless of their location, is paramount.  
 
To these effects, the National Integrated Clearance System or NICS, 
shall provide a single window system for clearances that shall be accessible to 
individual applicants, employers, government agencies, and other authorized 
institutions at all times. It will harmonize government policies and streamline 
procedures on the issuance of regulatory, judiciary, or law enforcement 
clearances, thus, providing a persistent service that is available and accessible 
to individuals and permissioned institutions. 
 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
 
Rep. FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ 
 
 
Representative, First District of Leyte 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rep. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ 
 
 
Representative, Tingog Sinirangan 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rep. JUDE A. ACIDRE 
 
 
Representative, Tingog Sinirangan 
 
 
 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
Introduced by 
SPEAKER FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ 
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ 
and 
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING 
THE 
NATIONAL 
INTEGRATED 
CLEARANCE 
SYSTEM, AS A CENTRALIZED DIGITAL FACILITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO 
REQUEST 
AND 
SECURE 
CLEARANCES 
FROM 
NATIONAL 
GOVERNMENT 
AGENCIES 
AND 
LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT 
UNITS, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of the Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
TITLE I 
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS 
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “National
Integrated Clearance System Act” or the “NICS Act.” 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of
the State to establish a single clearance system referred to as the “National 
Integrated Clearance System,” or “NICS,” which shall provide “single window 
functionalities” centralizing all transacting public requests for clearances, 
responses, and subsequent issuances of clearance-issuing law enforcement or 
judiciary agencies of government into a cohesive, non-intrusive, secure, 
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enterprise-grade, policy-based, rules-driven, and workflow-enabled system to 
safeguard propriety, privacy, and proportionate use of sensitive private 
information into a fully auditable service platform. 
 
It is in the interest of the State to achieve a paperless, seamless, and 
interoperable environment as a foundation for government agencies to improve 
service efficiency, transparency, auditability, traceability, and accountability; an 
environment that enhances standards of governance and protocols to mitigate 
deficiencies that may be exploited by threat actors; a system to curtail 
bureaucratic red tape; and, a system to continually improve quality and ease in 
the conduct of business between government agencies and the public.  
 
Towards this end, and specific to any public service at the national and 
local levels involving the application and issuances of clearances, 
commensurate with its intent to promote a paperless environment for 
processing, issuing, and administering clearances, a secure national integrated 
clearance platform shall be developed, implemented, and deployed, to serve 
as the main interface between the transacting public and all clearance-issuing 
government institutions, including, but not limited to, law enforcement, revenue, 
and judiciary institutions. This platform shall be accessible to users and 
administrators using established technologies that enforce strong security, 
encryption, and best-in-class identity and privacy protection protocols, to 
ensure that propriety, privacy, and the proportionate use of sensitive personal 
data are at all times upheld and protected. 
 
Section 3. Definition of Terms. –  As used in this Act, the following 
terms are defined as follows: 
a) Applicant refers to the individual making a request for a clearance.  
b) Consumer refers to the representative of a government or private 
entity requiring a clearance, authorized by the data owner, to use the 
requested information for a legitimate purpose. 


 
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c) Clearance refers to the digitally signed document, exclusively 
presented in an abstracted and machine-readable-only form 
generated by a government agency, containing pertinent and data-
delimited information. 
d) Distributed Ledgers refers to digital registries containing encrypted 
copies of data stored across different locations and devices within a 
private-permissioned blockchain network. 
e) Metadata refers to data which describes other data.  
f) Blockchain Nodes refers to devices which maintain copies of the 
distributed ledgers.  
g) Non-repudiability refers to a description of data or information which 
has proof of origin and authenticity that such data have not been 
tampered. 
h) Portal refers to the online accessible system from which authorized 
users, using established security protocols and permission levels, 
can access authorized information. 
i) Record refers to a uniquely identifiable data set of a transaction that 
is indexed and stored in a retrievable electronic format.  
j) Security refers to the physical and virtual protection of 
interconnected systems, such as data, hardware, and software from 
internal or external threats.  
k) Single Window refers to a system which allows persons and entities 
to transact using a centralized or single access point.  
l) Web Service Endpoint refers to an entity, processor or resource that 
can be referenced and to which web service messages can be 
addressed. 
 
Section 4. Scope. – This Act shall apply to the funding, acquisition, 
development, integration, implementation, operationalization, and continual 
future systems improvement, inclusive of technological, functional, and 
procedural improvements of the National Integrated Clearance System, to 


 
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service all clearance-issuing national and local government agencies. Its scope 
shall be limited to the following functions:  
(a)  Serve as the single window for applicants to complete digital 
clearance requests to any clearance-issuing agency of government, 
national or local, determined by the type of clearance requested. 
(b) Serve as the single window for applicant-authorized consumers of 
clearances, government or private, to securely access data-delimited 
clearance issuances. 
(c) Simultaneously and digitally route all requests or application for 
clearances submitted by applicants to concerned agency or 
agencies, for proper dispensation, disposition, and issuance as 
required by the type of clearance requested. 
(d) Monitor the duration and status of all applications or requests 
baselined against the last recorded action. 
(e) Generate an immutable machine-readable-only reference code, 
barcode, or quick response (QR) code that is permanently coupled 
to the date and version of the issued clearance.  
(f) Maintain a network of context-specific and encrypted distributed 
ledger nodes to store non-repudiable and immutable, metadata-only, 
record of user access, submitted transactions, dispositions, 
issuances, and references to authorized changes. 
(g) Provide standard multi-protocol web service endpoints that shall be 
made accessible to all authorized and permissioned consumers. 
(h) Provide local and international airlines, public utility buses, and 
terrestrial and marine interisland passenger vessels, as a service, a 
standard web service endpoint facility for such, to check as a function 
of ticketing, against any outstanding restrictions, prohibitions, or 
warrants specifically preventing any passenger, whether a citizen, 
legal resident, or foreign persons from boarding any public transport 
vehicle, aircraft, or vessel.  
(i) Establish, publish, and maintain a national authoritative data 
interoperability standard encapsulating detailed specifications on 


 
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required data structures, data harmonization, information sharing, 
data exchanges, data protection, security protocols, and privacy 
protection protocols affecting clearances issued by national or local 
government entities. 
(j) Provide continual data quality management and integration services 
to all national and local government agencies to transform and 
harmonize all data sources into a cohesive national interoperability 
standard as will be defined under the Implementing Rules and 
Regulations of this Act. 
 
TITLE II 
NATIONAL INTEGRATED CLEARANCE SYSTEM 
 
Section 5. Components of the National Integrated Clearance 
System. – The National Integrated Clearance System, hereinafter referred to 
as NICS or system, shall be established, implemented, governed, and 
managed by the Philippine Statistics Authority, and shall consist of the following 
integral environments, technology components, and enabling services:  
(a) Hardware and Software Technologies  
i. Secure mobile and browser accessible applications 
ii. Enterprise-grade Systems Environment  
iii. Private Permissioned Business Blockchain and Distributed 
Ledger Environment 
iv. Interoperability and Integration Environment 
v. Application Security 
vi. Data Security, Encryption, and Quality  
vii. Analytics, 
Visualization 
and 
Business 
Intelligence 
Environment 
viii. Data Archival and Business Continuity  
ix. Cybersecurity and Threat Analytics  
x. Distributed Hybrid Compute and Storage Environment  
(b) Services 


 
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i. Data Transformation and Harmonization Services 
ii. Re-Engineering and Procedural Streamlining Services 
(c) Integration and Interoperability  
i. Secure Enterprise API Gateway 
ii. Standard Web Service Endpoint Catalog 
iii. Secure Issuer Web Service API Endpoints 
iv. Secure Consumer Web Service API Endpoints 
 
Section 6. Limitations. – The NICS shall not be used by any 
government agency, entity, or person to:  
(1) Store any data or information in substantive form and beyond that 
which is classified as metadata, that is generated and sourced from 
respective government agencies. The system shall strictly capture 
and store only transactional metadata, shall serve the purpose of 
aggregating the requests, routing requests to the appropriate 
agency, and consolidating the responses from issuing agencies 
using a system-generated machine-readable-only reference code in 
the form of a barcode or QR code. The contents or substance of each 
clearance shall remain under the governance and control of the 
issuing agency and shall not be stored in any of the system’s 
repositories.  
(2) Disclose, collect, record, convey, disseminate, publish, or use any 
information from the NICS, give access thereto, or give copies 
thereof to third parties or entities, including law enforcement 
agencies, national security agencies, or units of the Armed Forces of 
the Philippines (AFP), beyond those allowed under the Data Privacy 
Act, except in the following circumstances:  
(a) When the registered person has given his or her consent, 
specific to the purpose prior to collection and processing. 
(b)  When the compelling interest of national security and public 
safety is at stake, relevant information may be disclosed upon 
order of a competent court, without prejudice to the principle 


 
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of proportionate use as specified under the Republic Act No. 
10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and other laws and 
international treaties, as may be applicable. 
 
Section 7. National Integrated Clearance System Council. – The 
National Integrated Clearance System Council, hereinafter referred to as the 
Council, is hereby established to provide clearly defined directions, policies, 
and guidelines to ensure the effective, proportionate, and secure 
implementation, coordination, and use of the NICS.  
 
The Council shall be composed of the following:  
1. Secretary, National Economic Development Authority; 
2. National Statistician and Civil Registrar, Philippine Statistics 
Authority; 
3. Undersecretary, 
Department 
of 
Interior 
and 
Local 
Government; 
4. Undersecretary, Department of Justice; 
5. Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights; and, 
6. Chairman, National Privacy Commission. 
 
The Secretary of the National Economic Development Authority shall be 
the Chairperson of the Council while the National Statistician and Civil Registrar 
of the Philippine Statistics Authority shall be the Vice Chairperson.  
 
Section 8. Role of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). – The 
Philippine Statistics Authority, together with the Council, shall carry out the 
implementation of this Act in such manner that the operations of relevant 
government agencies shall not be impeded in order not to unduly delay delivery 
of public service: Provided, that the PSA shall create a transition plan, which 
shall include pilot implementation, to gradually interface with all existing 
government digital clearance systems. The transition plan shall set up the 
timelines and deliverables and shall be crafted in coordination with agencies 


 
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concerned and the Department of Information and Communications 
Technology (DICT), based on the guidelines issued by the Council and subject 
to the provisions of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and other applicable laws and 
regulations. 
 
Section 9. Interoperability and Harmonization. – Government 
agencies identified by the Council in the implementing rules and regulations 
issued pursuant to this Act shall work with the PSA to streamline and harmonize 
interagency procedures and to integrate, connect, or establish automated 
digital communications between the NICS and their respective digital systems: 
Provided, that the government agencies have already established an 
acceptable level of accuracy of their records.  
 
The Council, together with the PSA, shall regularly update the list of 
government agencies which shall integrate with, connect to, or establish digital 
communications with the NICS and shall regularly check the level of accuracy 
of their records. 
 
TITLE III 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
Section 10. Administrative, Criminal or Civil Liability. – Violation of 
any provision of this Act and falsification of records by any person, natural or 
juridical, shall subject the person involved to administrative, criminal, or civil 
liability, under applicable laws. 
 
Section 11. Presidential and Congressional Oversight. – For the 
effective implementation of this Act, there shall be a Congressional Oversight 
Committee, hereinafter referred to as the NICS Oversight Committee, which 
shall include two (2) members from the Senate and twenty (20) members from 
the House of Representatives. The PSA, in coordination with the Council, shall 


 
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submit an annual report to the NICS Oversight Committee and the President of 
the Philippines not later than the first quarter of each year. 
 
Section 12. Appropriations and Funding. – The amount necessary for 
the effective implementation of the provisions of this Act shall be taken from the 
current year's appropriation of the Philippine Statistics Authority. Thereafter, 
such amount as may be needed for the continued implementation of this Act 
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
Section 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within one-
hundred eighty (180) days from the effectivity of this Act, the PSA, shall 
promulgate, with the approval of the Council, the rules, and regulations to 
effectively implement the provisions of this Act. 
 
Section 14. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act shall be 
held unconstitutional or invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall in 
full force and effect. 
 
Section 15. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved,