President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday asked Filipinos to give “a chance” to the national ID that the administration hopes would help boost public service delivery, curtail bureaucratic red tape, and reduce corruption.
In 2018, Duterte signed into law the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Act that mandated the government to develop a single official identification card for all Filipino citizens and foreign residents that would serve as a de facto national identification number.
“As we pursue this long overdue project, I ask every Filipino to give PhilSys a chance so that we may maximize the advantages of a universal and secure database that will make transactions more efficient and our lives more convenient,” he said.
Duterte urged the public to follow protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as they register for the ID system.
PhilSys will “uphold the privacy of all personal information,” he added.
The President received his PhilSys ID earlier this March.
