PSA chief pushes nat’l ID; PWDs, seniors included

By Susan C. Aro

TUBLAY, Benguet – The Philippine Statistics Authority is pushing registration of all citizens of the country under the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) or National ID including differently-abled persons and senior citizens.
    PSA Undersecretary Dennis Claire Mapa bared this saying persons with disability and senior citizens who are not   yet   profiled and incapable of going to biometrics registration centers will be reached in their homes.
    Mapa, who is also Civil Registrar General, announced this during his visit here in Barangay Caponga on June 17 to look into biometrics registration in the area. 

The municipalities of Tublay and Mankayan were the first   towns in Benguet that that implemented PhilSysregistration. 

Mapa, in responding to concern of the PWDs  raised by Local Civil Registrar Ruth Elyn Dino,  said the same issue was raised in other areas and  the  PSA is  working to address such  including  incapable senior citizens. 

Site of house to house strategies will be done in coordination with barangay officials for scheduling which will push through by September this year, he said.

PSA will provide knapsack biometrics registration kits which are lighter, movable and mobile so these can be easily carried house-to-house, said Mapa.

Registrants’ biometric information to be taken will be fingerprint biometrics, iris scans, and face photographs.

“Our aim is that all Filipinos will be registered with the national ID system and that no one will be left behind,” Mapa said.

Under the PhilSys program of the government, the national ID will be used as foundational proof of identity for any government and private transaction, he said. 

PSA-CAR director Villafe Alibuyog and Benguet provincial director Imelda Buyuccan   accompanied Mapa during the site visit. – PIA