National ID, Approved By The Senate And Is Now On Final Reading

Last years, a lot of hearsay revolving around the feasibility of the national I.D has been all over. There were rumors that it will be out before 2017 ends; rumors that it will replace all given I.Ds by the government, and so on. Nevertheless, we are sure that this national I.D system would be the center of all relevant information needed for identification. Just yesterday, the senate OKs the bill and is now on its final reading.

Photo: Credit to Owner

Read: National I.D. To Replace All Government-Issued I.Ds

Philippine senators voted 17 to 2; in favor of the bill.

As mentioned in a previous article, this national I.D. would contain a unique Common Reference Number (CRN) that would be given to all Filipinos. Along with the CRN would be general information about the citizen such as: full name, date of birth, complete address, age, sex, signature, and a recent photo.

What use does this National I.D. would have to us Filipinos?

As per Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, this I.D. shall be used for government-related transactions. Once this I.D is effective, there will no longer be demands for different identification cards. This national I.D. shall take the place of ALL government-issued I.Ds except for the driver’s license and the passport.

In addition to that, Diokno also stated that they’re hoping this national I.D. system would be in effect October of this year. This way, before 2019, everything will be in place and there will be no more room for ridiculous requirements.

As for the budget, there was a Php2 billion budget-allocation this year. It will be established by the Philippine Statistics Office (PSO) with the aids of the Department of Information and Communication Technology. Both departments would oversee the operation and maintenance of the said system.

Read: Required Information That Will Be Used And Stored In The National I.D. System

After the bill approval, a statement from Senator Panfilo Lacson emphasizes that the bill would also protect the individual’s right to privacy as the Philippine System (PhilSys) would only be released under the conditions of:

  • Upon the consent of the registered person, specific to the purpose prior to the processing;
  • Upon risk of public health and safety when relevant information may be disclosed, provided the risk of significant harm to the public is established and the owner of the information is notified within 72 hours of the fact of such disclosure;
  • Upon order of the court; and
  • When a registered person requests access to his or her registered information and record history, subject to the guidelines and regulations to be issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The National I.D. that we will have should be enough for Filipinos to have smoother and better transactions and records. Hopefully, this will be effective in October of this year.

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