BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA

Negros Occidental governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. lauded yesterday the passage of the Philippine Identification System Act.

“It should have been passed along time ago,” Marañon said a day after President Rodrigo Duterte signed the law.

The governor added that those who oppose the law which seeks to create a unified identification system in the country are people “who are hiding something.”

“The law is good for the country’s security. The biggest problem of the world right now is security with the proliferation of terrorists,” Marañon said. “With the new law, you could accost and require any suspicious looking person to identify himself.”

Marañon brushed aside doubts of the government’s capability to effectively implement the law.

He said the “availability of modern technology” will help the government in the new law’s implementation.

The law establishes the Philippine ID System, or PhilSys. It is a centralized database for vital information of Filipino and foreign residents in the country.

The PhilSys aims to improve the delivery of government services and reduce fraudulent transactions.

An ID card will be issued to each individual who registers with the system. Each person will also get a randomly generated, unique and permanent ID number, or the Common Reference Number (CRN).

Data shown in the ID card include name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, and address. Biometrics information will also be collected, including facial image, full set of fingerprints, iris scan, and other identifiable features that are necessary.

It will be optional to give your mobile number and email address.

The ID can be used in government and private transactions.

Registration for the ID will be free of charge. Filipinos living abroad may sign up for their national ID with the embassy or consular office where they are located.

The government has allotted P2 billion for the initial implementation of the program to be sourced from the Philippine Statistics Authority budget./DGB, WDJ