60 percent of working Filipinos have no valid Ids

AT least 60 percent of working Filipinos do not have valid identification cards (IDs), which hamper their access to social services, a lawmaker said Saturday. Rep. Pedro Romualdo of the Lone District of Camiguin disclosed that Filipinos in the workforce who do not have proper IDs include those who are working in the underground economy, underemployed, unemployed, out of school, fishermen or farmers.
The lack of IDs, Romualdo said, puts these people at a disadvantage because banks require a minimum of three identification cards before one could open an account. Moreover, airlines and shipping companies also require their passengers to show a valid ID before they are allowed entry to their premises.

Having said so, Romualdo filed House Bill 241, or the Filipino Identification System Act, which will establish a citizen identification system to facilitate people’s transactions with government and private institutions.

Romualdo’s proposal mandates the National Statistics Office (NSO) to issue identification cards free of charge to all Filipinos 18-years old and above. Each identification cardholder will then be assigned a permanent number, which is non-transferable and valid during the lifetime of the holder.

The citizen’s ID will include personal records and other information as may be required by the NSO.

Existing identification cardholders of Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) license, Driver’s License, Passport and Tax Identification Number, Postal IDs or of an NBI Clearance, on the other hand, will be required to file a separate application consolidating all the information in their Citizen’s ID.

Romualdo also assured that all information and data included in the Citizens ID will be safeguarded and no information will be released to any agency, office or instrumentality government or otherwise without a lawful court order. –LLANESCA T. PANTI, Manila Times