The pre-registration of the National ID System is expected to be carried out on the month of October.
The National ID System that aims to simplify the identification system in the Philippines is targeting the registration of 5 million Filipinos for the year 2020.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is coordinating with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for its implementation. The PSA and DILG will conduct the pre-registration through house-to-house.
The 32 provinces that will first be pre-registered are Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, and Tawi-tawi.
The PSA has asked for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with local government units (LGUs) to provide assistance on the initiative.
In the pre-registration, only social demographics information will be collected. There will be no fingerprint or iris scans to avoid crowding.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Acting Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua has initially stated that the low income households will be prioritized since they are greatly in need of bank accounts for easier distribution of cash assistance.
In a message on the 2021 proposed budget, President Rodrigo R. Duterte shared that the government has allotted PhP 4.1 billion to hasten the implementation of the National ID System.
Report from Naomi Tiburcio
