THE unified system of citizen identification for the country or the National Identification System will be implemented within this year once the measure has been signed into law, according to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
The DBM chief expressed hope that with the implementation of the national ID, more efficient government services would be provided, eliminating red tape during transactions with the government.
An initial funding of P2 billion has been earmarked for the implementation of the national ID system under the 2018 national budget.
“The government will start the enrollment process, or gathering data for the national ID system, all over the country 30 days after it is signed into law by President Duterte,” Diokno said..
The DBM chief said the government plans to complete the enforcement of the national ID system in one year, citing the initiative of India that was able to cover more than one billion people with its national ID system in three years.
The National ID, Diokno said, aims to lessen the burden of people when presenting documents, will serve as the official identification of either a Filipino citizen or an alien permanent resident.
The National Identification System should render all existing government IDs into one unified system.
The proposed ID, which will hold information such as name, birthdate, signature of owner, serial number, biometrics and more, shall be made mandatory and will last for the duration of the cardholder’s lifetime.
In line with the intents of hassle-free government transactions, it shall be enough for the application of essential government IDs, such as passports and driver’s licenses, Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Home Development Mutual Fund and even voting identification.
It is also meant to prevent election fraud.
The Senate Committee on Justice has approved Senate Bill 1736 or “An Act Establishing the Philippine Identification System” sponsored by Senator Panfilo Lacson.
The proposed measure seeks to harmonize, integrate, and interconnect countless and redundant government IDs by establishing a single national identification system to be known as the Philippine Identification System or PhilSys.
PhilSys will have three key components: the PhilSys Number or PSN, the PhilID, and the PhilSys Registry.
In September 2017, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading its version of the bill seeking to establish an identification system via national ID cards for all Filipinos.
An initial funding of P2 billion has been earmarked for the implementation of the national ID system under the 2018 national budget.
“The PSA [Philippine Statistics Authority] will be the lead agency for this and they will hire a third party, which has the equipment and will go all over the country to get the pictures and biometrics,” Diokno noted.
Once the ID system is in place, the PSA will turn it over to the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
A national ID system will initially benefit those receiving cash subsidies from the government as proper identification will reduce leakages in disbursing cash assistance.
“This unified system would promote seamless delivery of services, improve the efficiency, transparency, and targeted delivery of public and social services, and enhance administrative governance,” Diokno said.
“It is also expected to reduce corruption, bureaucratic red tape, avert fraudulent transactions and misrepresentations, strengthen financial inclusion, and promote ease of doing business,” he added.