MANILA, Philippines — The committee on population of the House of Representatives has approved the National ID System bill.
The proposed “Act Establishing the Filipino Identification System” aims to “synchronize and consolidate all existing government-initiated identification systems into one integrated and efficient identification system,” including driver’s licenses, Social Security System or Government Service Insurance System IDs, voter’s IDs, Tax Identification Number, PhilHealth and Pag-Ibig IDs.
The proposed Filipino Identification System will require the installation of state-of-the-art fingerprint-based biometric machines in all relevant agencies for coordination and verification of data and identity holders.
It is supposed to “simplify processes in public services, reduce redundancy and delay in government services and transactions, eliminate multiple government identification system, bring down administrative costs and expenses, promote greater convenience to the public, facilitate private business, identify fraudulent transactions and misrepresentations, and prevent the use of false or stolen identities, while upholding and securing at all times the rights to privacy, confidentiality and access to registered information.”
The FIS, which will contain individuals’ personal information, will be made of tamperproof security material and consist of the following:
- Common Reference Number (CRN), which is a unique and permanent number assigned to the individual during his or her lifetime and shall not be reused or assigned to another individual;
- Filipino Identification Card (FIC), which is the physical medium issued to the individual to convey essential information about the person’s identity; and,
- Filipino Citizen Registry, which is the collection of records and information about individuals enrolled in the FilSys to be administered by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The face of the card will contain the Common Reference Number, full fame, suffix in name, front facing photograph, sex, date of birth, place of birth, permanent address, blood type, and bar code.
The smart chip will contain the Common Reference Number, agency code, enrolment date, station ID, sequence number, full name, suffix, sex, date of birth, place of birth, permanent address, marital status, blood type, parents’ full name, biometric information consists of finger codes, iris scan, facial image exception code, height, weight, distinguishing features, and Tax Identification Number.
It will also contain other personal circumstances such as Philippine passport number, TIN, GSIS number, SSS number, PhilHealth number, HDMF/Pag-Ibig membership number, voter’s identification number and driver’s license number.
Upon enactment into law, all Filipinos residing in the Philippines will be required to register in the FISys and apply for the ID from any of the implementing agencies, including the Local Civil Registrar Offices, Commission on Elections, SSS, GSIS, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippine Postal Services, Land Transportation Office, HDMF office, Professional Regulation Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Under the bill, no person may disclose, collect, record, convey, disseminate, publish or use any personal data and sensitive personal information registered with the FilSys, give access to or give copies to third parties or entities, including law enforcement agencies, national security agencies or units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, except with the consent of the ID holder; upon the order of any competent court; when the interest of public health or safety so requires; or in the event of accident or disaster when the information are needed by medical institutions or health service workers.
The Philippine Statistics Authority will be the repository and custodian of all data in the ID. It will coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to ensure the security of the information.
Earlier, the Department of Finance said the national ID system will complement the proposed Comprehensive Tax Reform Package, specifically in the area of exemptions for senior citizens and persons with disability.
