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A Capstone Project Study Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Information and Communications Technology ASIST Main Campus, Lagangilang, Abra
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
By NARCISO A. AYUP ERNEL GAY L. TORDIL GRAZEL B. GERSALIA LERMA M. JIMENEZ JULIENNE JOY J. NARAG
March 2011
ABRA STATE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY Main Campus, Lagangilang, Abra
APPROVAL SHEET This Capstone project with the title LAGANGILANG WATER DISTRICT AUTOMATED WATER BILLING SYSTEM, prepared and submitted by AYUP, NARCISO A., TORDIL, ERNEL GAY L., GERSALIA, GRAZEL B., JIMENEZ, LERMA M. and NARAG, JULIENNE JOY J., in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, is hereby accepted.
JOVENTINO T. TRINIDAD JR., BSIT Capstone Project Coordinator Date Signed: ___________
Accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
PABLO B. BOSE JR., EdD Chairman, ICT Deparment Date Signed: ___________
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AKNOWLEDGEMENT
The proponents would like to express their sincerest gratitude and appreciation to the following that have extended their guidance and help for the success and completion of the study: To Ms. Janelyn A. Ambre, their adviser, for her priceless help, knowledge and supervision in the making of their documentation and system which have greatly contributed to the improvement and success of the study; To Mr. Winfred T. Gaoiran Sr., the general manager of Lagangilang Water District, and his staff for sharing their time and knowledge in answering the interview; To the Capstone Project Committee, namely Mr. Christopher B. Pilotin, Mr. Leovy B. Atmosfera, Mr. Winfred T. Gaoiran Sr. and For. Vicente A. Ato for their evaluations and revisions in making the project a successful one; To their families, friends and loved ones for their financial and moral support and for being their inspiration; and Above all, to Almighty God, who gave them the wisdom, courage, strength, hope, health and knowledge in making this project a success.
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DEDICATIONS
This is to mention my deepest gratitude and sincerest thanks to my best friend Junallyn. Without her lifting me up and encouraging me, this endeavour would not have been a successful one. To my family who supported me morally and my brother financially, I sincerely thank you. To my friends, my instructors, and my loved ones who inspired me every day in your company. Im very blessed to have you in my life. JJJN
I dedicate this accomplishment to God who gave me good health and strength. To my family who me gave moral support and guided me how to do everything, especially in the financial aspect. To my friends who are always there to make me happy even if we encounter a few problems along the way. Nevertheless, I am happy to have you for you make my life complete. To our adviser and instructors who are there and willing to help us in accomplishing this work, thank you very much. GBG
I sincerely convey my appreciation to the Lagangilang Water District staff for cooperating with us and for patiently answering our interviews. To our Alma Mater which molded our foundation as an individual, I will never forget where I was before. EGLT iv
ABSTRACT
Title
Lagangilang Water District Automated Billing System NARCISO A. AYUP ERNEL GAY L. TORDIL GRAZEL B. GERSALIA LERMA M. JIMENEZ JULIENE JOY J. NARAG
Proponents :
: :
Objectives of the Study The researchers aim to create an automated billing system to enhance the billing system of the Lagangilang Water District. They aim: 1. To make the computations more efficient and faster. 2. To lessen redundancy and time consumed. 3. To computerize the ledger of each concessionaire. 4. To print receipts using continuous receipt. Methodology The researchers use the descriptive-developmental design in this study. The descriptive treatment is employed in the discussion of the manual operation of the Lagangilang Water District that includes human resources, physical resources and financial and office operations, as well as the capabilities and constraints of the existing system.
The design aims to replace the manual operation to automation and increase the level of users knowledge in computer operation. The procedures included different phases: System Analysis, System Design, Development, and Documentation. Conclusion The manual operation of Lagangilang Water District encounters a lot of problems in different areas. Most likely is the slow and inaccurate computation thus, the manual computations may lead to a lot of chaos and errors; difficulty in reports generating either no reports will be generated or they are generated with great difficulty, so reports take time. Inability of modification of data, the managing of huge data effectively and efficiently for efficient results, storing the concessionaires summary of bills and temporary ledger. Lot of paper works result to loss of even a single paper leads to difficult situation and there are too much paper works. The researchers therefore conclude that automation is a big help to a working environment which operations are done manually. Recommendation The researchers therefore recommend the proposed automated billing system to the personnel involved in the billing procedure and other operations for a faster, easier and more accessible billing of the Water District and for a more secured storage of files and records.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title Page ......................................................................................... Approval Sheet .................................................................................. Acknowledgment .............................................................................. Dedications ...................................................................................... i ii iii iv
Abstract ............................................................................................ v Table of Contents .............................................................................. vii Table of Figures ................................................................................. ix Table of Appendices .......................................................................... CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Situation Analysis .................................................................... Objectives of the Study ............................................................ 1 1 x
Significance of the Study ........................................................... 2 Scope and Delimitation .............................................................. 2 Conceptual Framework ............................................................. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY Research Design ...................................................................... 8 Procedure ................................................................................ 8 Instrumentation ........................................................................ 11 Data Gathering ......................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 4 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS DESIGN Processes in the Existing System ................................................ 12 Problem Analysis of the Existing System ...................................... 12 Overview of the Proposed System ............................................... 16 System Requirements ............................................................... 17 CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary ................................................................................. 21 vii 4 6 Definition of Terms .................................................................... 5
Conclusion ............................................................................... 21 Recommendations .................................................................... 22 References ........................................................................................ 23 Appendices ....................................................................................... 24 Curriculum Vitae ................................................................................ 38
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TABLE OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Conceptual Framework .......................................................... 4 Figure 2. Context Diagram of the Existing System .................................. 14 Figure 3. Data Flow Diagram of the Existing System ............................... 15 Figure 4. Entity Relationship Diagram ................................................... 18 Figure 5. Context Diagram of the Proposed System ................................ 19 Figure 6. Data Flow Diagram of the Proposed System ............................. 20
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TABLE OF APPENDICES Page Appendix A. Request Letter ................................................................. 24 Appendix B. Transcript of Interview ...................................................... 25 Appendix C. Collectors Stub ................................................................ 26 Appendix D. Official Water Bill Receipt .................................................. 27 Appendix E. Notice of Collection ........................................................... 28 Appendix F. Water Reading Sheet ........................................................ 29 Appendix G. Daily Collectors Report ..................................................... 30 Appendix H. Application Form .............................................................. 31 Appendix I. Summary of Bills .............................................................. 32 Appendix J-1. Water Service Contract(front page) .................................. 33 Appendix J-2. Water Service Contract(back page) .................................. 34 Appendix K. List of Bills ...................................................................... 35 Appendix L. Notice of Collection and Official Receipt ............................... 36 Appendix M. All Payments Records ....................................................... 37 Appendix N. User Manual .................................................................... 38
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION
Situation Analysis Technology is a term referring to whatever can be said at any particular historical period, concerning the state of the art in the whole general field of practical know-how and tool use. It is the process by which humans modify nature to meet their need and wants. So far, humans are now using high technology to perform tasks having less effort and less time to consume. An automated billing system is a combination of a software application and a database designed to take customer information regarding charges to be collected from him. Automated systems are intended to replace the current manually operated systems. It is important to continuously improve the billing system because it either grows or declines and in so doing the strategies change as well. The Lagangilang Water District uses the manual process which they wish to be converted into an automated system to attain an effective billing system and to cope with technology trends.
Objectives of the Study The researchers aim to create an automated billing system to enhance the billing system of the Lagangilang Water District. They aim: 1. To make the computations more efficient and faster. 1
2. To lessen redundancy and time consumed. 3. To computerize the ledger of each concessionaire. 4. To print receipts using continuous receipt.
Significance of the Study Organizations today admit that having efficient and effective
management will help them attain success. This will help them become responsive and alert to the demands of the consumers. The study is important more especially for the satisfaction of its concessionaires. They want fast acquisition of information for them to be prepared for unexpected charges. The study is also important to the staff of the Lagangilang Water District for them to have less effort, less time consumed and no more hazards in monitoring and computing the bills of the concessionaires. This study will give the researchers ideas in the formulation of an automated billing system. The result of the study will help the areas that need improvement.
Scope and Delimitation The study is only limited to the operations of the Lagangilang Water District and its primary concern is the automated billing system that is accessible only by the General Manager and the authorized staff. The system supports record handling such as adding, deleting, editing, and updating 2
concessionaries
record.
The
record
contains
the
information
of
concessionaire and his summary of bills. Each concessionaire is assigned a unique account number so there is no possibility for redundant data and it is easier to retrieve information. The system also covers the automated computation of the
concessionaires water bill and printing bills. Furthermore, the system will provide a concise billing history of every concessionaire that is available for viewing and printing purposes. The system does also include cashier system which accepts payment. It also includes monthly and annual reports.
Conceptual Framework
INPUT 1. ICT Profile of the Lagangilang Water District Office a. Hardware b. Software c. Peopleware 2. Procedures of the Lagangilang Water District Office 3. Capabilities and constraints of the existing processes in the billing system of the Lagangilang Water District Office
FEEDBACK
Definition of Terms Automated billing system is a combination of a software application and a database designed to take information regarding charges to be collected. Software application is designed to help the user to perform singular or multiple related specific tasks. Database is a collection of related data. It is an accumulation of data for storage and future use. Cubic meter used is the difference between the present reading and the previous reading.
The use of billing systems make it possible to manage the invoicing process with greater efficiency, saving the company both money and time. Tatum (2011) states that there are several features that are common to automated billing system. In most cases, the software is designed to allow the creation of the customer profiles which contain all the data needed to accurately prepare the invoice. Automated billing works very well with situations where a customer has a standing order, or there is recurring payment that must be requested on a weekly or monthly basis. With this application, the system can be configured to automatically generate standing or recurring invoices to the appropriate customers, thus eliminating the need for one or more employees to spend hours on this repetitive task. The end result is that personnel can be utilized for different functions, allowing the work day to be more productive and thus cost efficient (Tatum, 2011). Mostafa (2005) stresses that telecommunication companies need an effective and accurate billing system to be able to assure their revenue. Billing systems process the usage of network equipment that is use during the service usage. The billing process involves receiving billing records from various networks, determining the billing rates associated with the billing records, calculating the cost for each billing record, aggregating these
records periodically to generate invoices, sending invoices to the customer and collecting payments. Mostafa (2005) further states that one of the big issues of any billing system is how, when, and where the companies should bill their customers.
Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY
Research Design The researchers used the descriptive-developmental design in this study. The descriptive treatment is employed in the discussion of the manual operations of the Lagangilang Water District that includes human resources, physical resources and financial and office operations, as well as the capabilities and constraints of the existing system. The design aims to replace the manual operation to automation and increase the level of users knowledge in computer operation.
Procedure The proposed Lagangilang Water District Automated Billing System was developed through the system development phases, which consists of system analysis, design, programming, testing and debugging, and
documentation. Step 1: System Analysis System analysis involves a detailed study of the current system, leading to the specifications of a new automated system. It also includes a detailed study of various operations performed on a system and their relationships within and outside the system. The boundary of the new system
must also consider keeping in view the problems and new requirements and of what consumers want to affect in the new automated system. The researchers used the conceptual framework as system analysis technique, data dictionary and miniature specifications in order to be familiarized with both detailed operations of the system and the required for the system. Furthermore, the researchers called for interviews, on-site
observations and actual experiences as tools for system analysis which were utilized to determine the flow of existing system and how transactions were done using the manual operations. Step 2: System Design This system is the production of design for a new automated system. It specifies changes to existing programs and specifies a new database or changes to the existing database. The design of the system necessarily includes the hardware and software requirements computer requirements to install the Lagangilang Water District Automated Billing System, the database scheme-structure on how to store records, billing and computing of bills. Step 3: Development In this phase, codes or programs are written. The researchers used Visual Basic 6.0 programming language to develop the proposed system. After designing the new system, the whole system is required to be 9
converted into a language understandable by the computer. Coding the new system into computer programming language does this. After codifying the whole programs of the system, a test plan was developed and run on a given set of test data. The output of the test run should match the expected results. During this phase, the components were also built during the development and were put into operational use. In such run for a certain defined period, both systems the computerized and manual are executed in parallel. Manual results can be compared with the results of the
computerized system. It is used as a basis to develop the system function and its interface. Step 4: Testing and Debugging In this phase, the researchers tested and corrected the codes and programs. However, the programs were subjected to debugging. Debugging includes the process of correcting program errors. Likewise, the researchers analysis regarding the comparison between the existing system and the proposed system were used as a basis to develop the systems functions. Step 5: Documentation The researchers produced documents from the results of system development from system analysis to testing phases. The document includes
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GUIs that explain the flow of the system, codes, screen design and text explaining the features of the automated billing system.
Instrumentation The researchers called for interviews, observation and the actual experience regarding the printed bills and charges. These were used to analyze, design and develop the automation.
Data Gathering Data gathering is one of the most important tasks researchers possibly ever have to do. The researchers collected data through interviews, actual experiences and observation.
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Processes in the Existing System The monthly procedures of the Lagangilang Water District Office: 1. The Meter Reader reads the water meter of the concessionaire, and then submits the meter reading to the Billing Clerk/Data Encoder. 2. The Billing Clerk then posts the meter reading then computes the cubic meter used then its peso equivalent. 3. After computation, the Billing Clerk manually makes the water bill and notices of the concessionaires. 4. After billing, the Billing Clerk turns over the notices of the
concessionaires to the Meter Reader. 5. The Meter Reader distributes the notices to the concessionaires. 6. Concessionaires pay their water bills to the Meter Reader or to the Cashier at the LWD office. 7. Billing Clerk then posts the paid bills based on the official Cashiers receipt.
Problem Analysis of the Existing System The manual operation of Lagangilang Water District encounters a lot of problems in different areas. Most likely is the slow and inaccurate computation thus, the manual computations may lead to a lot of chaos and errors; difficulty in reports generating either no reports will be generated or 12
they are generated with great difficulty, so reports take time. Inability of modification of data, the managing of huge data effectively and efficiently for efficient results, storing the concessionaires summary of bills and temporary ledger. Lot of paper works result to loss of even a single paper leads to difficult situation and there are too much paper works.
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Overview of the Proposed System The proposed Lagangilang Water District Automated Billing System is supposed to replace the manual operations done in the Lagangilang Water District. Billing and payment transactions are done electronically, not the usual way in which they will enter all the entries in the notice of collection receipt, stub and official receipt manually and repeatedly. These will be printed thereafter using continuous form. The computation of bills and payments is also automated. There is no need to compute using the calculator which will have the possibility of an inaccurate result. Billing and payment are made easier and faster because it is easier to search for the record of a certain concessionaire. The concessionaire needs only the account number or if in case it is forgotten, resort into the first and last name. Another function that the Lagangilang Water District Automated Billing System offers is the electronic registration of new concessionaire. The data of a new concessionaire will be entered into the system by any of the authorized staff. The new account will be automatically added and saved to the record of all concessionaires. The Lagangilang Water District Automated Billing System generates reports classified to Individual Record and All Records which enable the Manager/ authorized staff to summarize bills, to update reports that are concerned with accounts payable and to track gross and net incomes for a certain period of time.
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Additional features one can avail from the system are the User List, which contains the records of who can avail the system; the User Option, which can add, edit or change, and delete a user; the Rate/Cubic form, which lists the amount of Cubic Meter used; and the option to edit the new changes of rate per cubic. The special feature of the system is that the database used is secured so that no one can change the information of each concessionaire except the administrator. The system is also provided with a Back Up Database feature just in case of data loss.
System Requirements 1. Hardware Hard disk of at least 120 GB capacity At least 1 GB of RAM 2.0 GHz processor or higher VGA (Video Graphics Adapter) Printer
2. Software Microsoft XP Operating System or higher platform Microsoft Access 2007 Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0
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Summary The present billing system of Lagangilang Water District operates manually thus the work of the Billing Clerk is very tiresome and the Billing Clerk or staff spends much time in computing bills and updating their records from time to time and inaccurate entry of data sometimes occur. Duplicate of payments may also the problem of every concessionaire. To lessen these problems, the researchers come up with a proposed billing system that could lessen and hasten the work of the staff as well as the concessionaire.
Conclusions The primary problem being encountered with the existing system is that more time and effort is consumed on the part of Billing Clerk and other staff. The present system needs more time to finish the operations. In the proposed Lagangilang Water District Automated Billing System, all these things will be done in one place, in a lesser time. Thus, automation of the present system is a great help to a working environment which operations are done manually. The study was able to achieve file management involving fewer papers to maintain.
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Recommendations The researchers therefore recommend the proposed automated billing system to the personnel involved in the billing procedure and other operations for a faster, easier and more accessible billing of the Water District and for a more secured storage of files and records.
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REFERENCES
Unpublished Thesis Bautista, K.A., et al. (2005). Computerized Sales and Reservation System of Patio del Sol Seafood Restaurant. (Undergraduate thesis, AMA
Web pages Mostafa, H. (2005). Billing System: Introduction. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.codeproject.com/KB/architecture/billing.aspx,2010 Tatum, M. (2003). What is Automated Billing? Retrieved February 15, 2011, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-automated-billing.htm
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Republic of the Philippines ABRA STATE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY Main Campus, Lagangilang, Abra
MR. WINFRED T. GAOIRAN SR. General Manager Lagangilang Water District Lagangilang, Abra Sir:
July 5, 2010
The undersigned are graduating students of the ASIST Main Campus Information and Communications Technology Department and as such we are required to conduct a research in the field of information technology and we have chosen your office to be our model for the said activity. In this capacity, we wish to conduct an interview pertaining to the activities of your office in line with our research. We assure you that any information gathered will be treated with utmost confidentiality and such will only be used for educational purposes. We look forward for a favorable response from you. Thank you for your consideration of this request. God bless and more power. Very truly yours, (Sgd.) (Sgd.) (Sgd.) (Sgd.) (Sgd.) Noted: (Sgd.) JOVENTINO T. TRINIDAD, JR. Instructor, ICT Department (Sgd.) DR. PABLO B. BOSE, JR. Chairman, ICT Department 24 NARCISO A. AYUP ERNEL GAY L. TORDIL GRAZEL B. GERSALIA LERMA M. JIMENEZ JULIENNE JOY J. NARAG
1. How are transactions done in your office? The Meter Reader reads the water meter of the concessionaire, and then submits the meter reading to the Billing Clerk/Data Encoder. The Billing Clerk then post the meter reading then computes the cubic meter used then its peso equivalent. After computation, the Billing Clerk manually makes the water bill and notices of the concessionaires. After billing, the Billing Clerk turns over the notices of the concessionaires to the Meter Reader. The Meter Reader distributes the notices to the concessionaires. Concessionaires pay their water bills to the Meter Reader or to the Cashier at the LWD office. Billing Clerk then post the paid bills based on the official Cashiers receipt. 2. In that transaction, what are the difficulties you and your staff most encounter? In our transactions, we found difficulties in computation of bills because it is manually done and it has a high percentage to have mistakes. Storing of important documents and files also a hazard process and it may be the reason of information lose. 3. What are the processes in your office you wish to be automated? We wish to make some automation on the computation of bills and payment. Include also the monthly and annual report of bills and payments of the concessionaire.
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Enter Username
Enter Password
To continue and check whether the Username and Password are correct, press the Enter key.
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Main Window Contains all necessary forms and transactions. Shortcut icons
Account Form Account form contains two categories, the Add/Edit Account and the Consumer List. Add/Edit Account allows the user to add and/or edit the
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Enter Account Number for a fast acquisition of information Enter name if the account number is forgotten
The Consumer List allows the user to view the list of consumers for acquisition of information.
Lets you print the consumer List Lets you print the Meter Reading Sheet
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Bills Form Bills Form contains two options, the Billing Form and the List of Bills Form. The Billing Form lets you enter the present reading of the consumer and it will automatically compute the cubic meter used and the amount, it will also compute the due date and the disconnection date. Enter Account Number for a fast acquisition of information
List of Bills Form allows the user to view the information of each consumer.
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Payment Form This form allows the user to make the payment process. By just entering the cash amount, it will automatically compute the change.
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Manage Form This form contains two categories, the Manage Rate/Cu.M Meter Form and the User Option Form. The Manage Rate/Cu.M Meter Form lets the user update the rate per cubic.
The User Option Form allows the user to add, edit and delete User Account.
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Report Form This form contains two categories, the Individual Records Form and the All Records Form. The Individual Records Form contains the records of each
concessionaire, all the information are shown here including the note if the concessionaire is connected or disconnected, unpaid or paid.
The All Records Form allows the user to view the records of payment of consumer; this also let the user print the report.
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Lock Form
Back up Data Base This Back up Data base Form is use for back up purpose.
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PERSONAL DATA Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Age: Status: Contact Number: February 13, 1987 Aguet, Lagangilang, Abra 24 Single 09161805815
EDUCATION Elementary: Lagangilang Central School 1993-1999 Lagangilang, Abra Secondary: Holy Cross School 1999-2003 Lagangilang, Abra Tertiary: Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008-2011 Lagangilang, Abra
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WORK EXPERIENCE Records Office, Administration Bldg. Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008
Laboratory High School Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2009
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PERSONAL DATA Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Age: Status: Contact Number: November 7, 1991 Bangued, Abra 19 Single 09164421984
EDUCATION Elementary: Lagangilang Elementary School 1999-2003 Lagangilang, Abra Secondary: Cayapa National High School 2003-2007 Cayapa, Lagangilang, Abra Tertiary: Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008-2011 Lagangilang, Abra
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WORK EXPERIENCE Internet Room Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008
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PERSONAL DATA Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Age: Status: Contact Number: May 24, 1991 Novaliches, Quezon City 19 Single 09066508989
EDUCATION Elementary: Don Rosalio Eduarte Elementary School 1999-2003 Dolores, Abra Secondary: Rosalio Eduarte National High School 2003-2007 Dolores, Abra Tertiary: Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008-2011 Lagangilang, Abra
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WORK EXPERIENCE Presidents Office, Administration Bldg. Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008
Department of Labor and Employment Bangued, Abra November 2010 - February 2011
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PERSONAL DATA Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Age: Status: Contact Number: April 5, 1991 Libtec, Dolores, Abra 19 Single 09297557642
EDUCATION Elementary: Kimmalaba Elementary School 1999-2003 Lagangilang, Abra Secondary: Rosalio Eduarte National School 2003-2007 Lagangilang, Abra Tertiary: Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008-2011 Lagangilang, Abra
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PERSONAL DATA Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Age: Status: Contact Number: September 26, 1990 Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 20 Single 09061246939
EDUCATION Elementary: Bagay Elementary School 1999-2003 Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Secondary: Cagayan National High School 2003-2007 Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Tertiary: Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008-2011 Lagangilang, Abra
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WORK EXPERIENCE Registrars Office, Administration Bldg. Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology 2008
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