A SENATOR on Thursday said the long wait for the delivery of national identification cards (ID) is “unjustifiable,” with some having registered more than a year ago but have yet to receive the card.
“The National ID could have been the trusted card used for the speedy distribution of cash aid, fuel vouchers, health benefits and other basic services that Filipinos desperately need to help tide them over the challenging times,” Senator Mary Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares, who chairs the Senate Public Services Committee, said in a statement.
“The streamlined information in one card would have made public and private transactions less cumbersome and trying,” she added.
She noted that “more than half of the population” have done their part by registering. “It’s high time that the government does its share by delivering the National ID to our citizens without further delay.”
The senator also called on the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to ensure the veracity and accuracy of the data in the card, while remaining open to avenues for modifications if needed.
As of March, around 8.2 million cards have already been distributed to Filipinos, according to data released by the PSA. This makes up 24% of their 33.8 million target for 2022.
The PSA earlier apologized for delays in the delivery of national IDs due to logistical problems caused by the pandemic. They also noted that they were prioritizing the delivery for low-income households. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan