David, who later on pursued his master's degree at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), crafted a business plan out of what was then a novel idea. 'I had professors at AIM who wanted to buy into the company but we decided to do it on our own,' he recalled.

Pilipinas Teleserv started with 16 seats, with two agents working on two shifts. The company now processes about 2,500 NSO applications every day. Applications can be done over the phone and payment is transacted through designated local banks.

The company also runs a similar service for the Foreign Affairs department. The service allows people to renew passports over the phone without having to apply for one physically. Last year, the delivery service was expanded to cater to first-time applicants who wish to have their passports delivered upon completion.

David said majority of users who tried these services learned about them through word-of-mouth. By applying the call center concept to a government setting, Pilipinas Teleserv is hoping to bridge the gap between efficient governance and public clamor.