The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is considering the use of the national ID system to hasten the distribution of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in 2021.
According to Acting NEDA Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, “it would be useful to use that to make sure the vaccines are distributed properly because in some cases you will need more than one shot and of course you will have to keep track of those people who you have given a dose and those who will need a second dose.”
More than 9 million Filipinos have completed step 1 of the registration for the National ID this December. NEDA aims to register 50 million individuals by the end of 2021.
The Philippine Identification System can serve as a database for the experts in charge of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The national ID also aims to address the lack of ID of many Filipinos. In the step 2 registration of the program, low-income families will have the opportunity to open a bank account with the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Report from Naomi Tiburcio
