Philippines pushes ahead with universal ID plan

The Philippines' House of Representatives has approved a bill that would issue each citizen with an ID card that would consolidate identity documentation.The Filipino Identification System bill aims to bring all existing government-initiated ID systems into one-integrated and ID system.Al Francis Bichara, the bill's main author, said the bill mandates every Filipino, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, to register personal information required by the ID system for purposes of securing a non-transferrable Filipino ID Card with a number that shall be valid for life.Under the bill, every Filipino residing in the Philippines shall apply for the registration and issuance of the Filipino ID Card at the office of the Local Civil Registrar of the city where one is resident.The Filipino ID Card, which shall be made of tamper-proof security material, shall have on its face the imprinted photograph, name, birth date, gender, date of issue, signature of the owner, the corresponding individual serial number issued by the PSA and such other data as may be deemed necessary. It shall also have the capability to store at least the biometric data of the individual cardholder.The ID card may only be replaced when a child reaches the legal age of 18 years old, when there is a change in name, family name by virtue of court order or by application of law and when ID card is lost or destroyed. Filipino cardholders are required to renew their ID card upon reaching the age of 60.The ID Card shall be presented in all government transactions including applications for passport and driver's license; applications for any services and benefits offered by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF); and applications for clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), courts, prosecutor and the police.It shall also be used as proof of identity, status, age, address, for admission in all learning institutions, for employment purposes, for transactions in banking and financial institutions, for availment of benefits or privileges afforded by law to senior citizens and for voting identification purposes.The bill penalizes any person who knowingly uses false information in applying for the issuance of a Filipino ID Card or procures one through fraud and utilizes in an unlawful manner.

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