Laguna 3rd District Representative Sol Aragones commended President Rodrigo Duterte for allocating P2 billion pesos in the proposed 2018 national budget for the roll out of biometrics-based national ID system.
“Ang pagkakaroon ng maayos na sistema ng pagkakakilanlan sa bawat Pilipino ay magbibigay daan para sa mabilis na pamamahagi ng tulong at serbisyo publiko ng gobyerno. Ang hakbang ni Pangulong Duterte na maglagak ng budget para sa national ID ay nagpapakita ng kanyang sinseridad na umagapay sa mahihirap at sa mga lubos na nangangailangan,” explained Aragones.
Duterte said that the national ID project would help ease the delivery of social services, particularly to ensure that only rightful recipients of the government’s P89.4-billion conditional cash transfer program would enjoy such benefits.
“With built-in Europe, MasterCard, Visa (EMV) chips containing an individual’s personal information and biometric, the national ID will ensure the effective implementation of government services, more specifically social benefits and transfers to entitled individuals,” said Duterte in his prior budget message to Congress.
Meanwhile, Rep. Aragones, who sits as the chairperson of the Committee on Population of Family Relations, said that a committee report on the consolidated Filipino ID System bill will soon be released. The legislative measure will be transmitted to the plenary for its second reading for deliberation by all the House members.
The Filipino ID System or the “Fil Sys” will synchronize and consolidate all existing government-initiated identification systems into one integrated and efficient identification system. In the near future, all Filipinos will need to present just one identification card to transact with government agencies and other commercial establishments that require individuals to present two or more government-issued IDs.
“This will make it much more convenient for our citizens, many of whom don’t have more than one government-issued ID and must secure another one just so they can transact with private establishments,” said Aragones.
Under the House bill, the government agencies that shall issue Fil ID cards are the Local Civil Registrar Offices (LCROs), Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF or PAGIBIG Fund), Philippine Postal Services (PPS), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The Fil ID card issued by any of the abovementioned agencies shall be honored and accepted in transactions requiring proof or verification of a Filipino citizen’s identity not only by government institutions but also by private entities. # | Office of Rep. Sol Aragones
