The Bacolod City government will issue identification (ID) cards to members of various accredited sectoral associations starting this January to facilitate the easier release of assistance and access to government services.

As of yesterday, the encoding of individual information by the Management Information Technology and Computer Services to establish a database is ongoing.

City Administrator Lucille Gelvolea, in an interview, said those who belong to accredited associations will be the first to be issued sectoral IDs.

“Whenever there is assistance, we would know the legitimate members who belong to a particular sectoral group. Our experience when we didn’t have a database, we couldn’t validate which sector they belong to,” she said.

Gelvolea said there are around 170 accredited associations, covering the senior citizens, women, vendors, farmers, persons with disability, fisherfolk and transport sectors.

The sectoral ID registration was launched last December during a summit led by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez for easier access to government programs, assistance, and benefits tailored to their specific needs. (PNA)