Look: House committee approves national ID system

House of Representatives' panel approved on Wednesday, May 10, a bill seeking to consolidate all existing government-initiated identification (ID) systems into one integrated and efficient Filipino ID system.

The bill states the national ID system, called Filipino Identification System or FilSys, will provide for a single card sufficient for all transactions requiring proof of identification with both the government and the private sector, and will "lower costs, streamline transactions, andThe bill requires all Filipinos, whether living here or abroad, to register their personal information in the system.

They are to declare the name, photograph, birth date, gender, signature, blood type, and an individual serial number - also known as the Common Reference Number (CRN) - to be issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The supposed tamper-proof ID will also have a smart chip that will contain the person's biometrics, iris scan, facial image reception code, and other distinguishing features.

Other government-issued numbers, such as those in the passport, social security, PAGIBIG, voter's ID, Philhealth and tax identification papers, will also be accessible through the CRN.

"Sa pamamagitan nito, isa na lang ang kailangan nating ID at nag-identify tayo na magagamit ito sa iba't-ibang ahensya ng gobyerno," Population Committee Chair Sol Aragones said.

The ID will be issued for free upon first release.

Those who will falsify information and use the card in unlawful ways face sanctions, ranging from six months to two years imprisonment, and a fine of P50,000 to P500,000, the Committee head said.

The national ID card would be honored in transactions concerning a person's identity, marital status, birth, and other personal circumstances.

It would be the official document to be honored in transactions with national government agencies, local government units, government-owned or controlled corporations, and government financial institutions.

"Unang-una na siyempre ang pangalan, ang permanent address, ang edad, ang sex, picture. Dapat may picture no'ng tao na nag-apply nitong ID. Meron ding fingerprint, pero ito ay nasa loob. Kasi may mga impormasyon na 'di na kailangang ilagay sa card," said committee chairperson and Laguna 3rd District Representative Sol Aragones.

(First, the card will contain the applicant's name, permanent address, age, sex, and picture. The ID should contain the applicant's picture. The card will also contain fingerprint information, but it will be inside the system already. Because there are information that do not need to be included on the card itself.)

Aragones said the card will also contain a common reference number.

"So pagka-klinick 'yun, makikita na nila 'yung lahat ng impormasyon na nando'n naman sa database (So when you click, all your information will be found in the database)," she added.

The ID may be used for applications for passport, driver's license, Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), and the National Bureau of Investigation.

The national ID card may also be used to identify voters, schools, and employees, as well as to avail of senior citizens' benefits. It may also be used for court, prosecutor, and police clearances, and in banking and financial institutions.

Security concerns
Aragones said only the PSA should have access to the information in the IDs.

"Sakaling ire-request ng ibang agency ay may approval na kinakailangan talaga. Alam ko naman agam-agam ng iba na baka gamitin ito sa maling impormasyon, may mga safeguard tayo dito," she added. provide ease and convenience."

(There should be approval in case other agencies will request the information. I know there are a lot of apprehensions when it comes to security. We have safeguards here.)

The bill states that data in FilSys cannot be disclosed without the ID holder's consent except:

In cases of accidents or disasters, where the ID holder's medical history is needed by medical workers
When the interest of public health or safety requires the data.

Source: CNN,Rappler