‘National ID to speed up economic recovery’

MANILA, Philippines — A comprehensive implementation of the Philippine Identification System (National ID) Act will speed up the country’s economic recovery following a 9.5-percent contraction in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said.

In August of 2018, the national ID system, or the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) measure, was passed into law. “Unfortunately, much to our despair, it has yet to be fully implemented as of this date,” Lacson pointed out.

Lacson, one of the authors and the principal sponsor of the measure in the Senate, said the National ID system will promote financial inclusion and streamline government services – both of which are needed at this time.

“The lack of identification creates formidable barriers for the downtrodden and the poor and creates even larger barriers between the government and the people. Hence, we should push for the implementation of the National ID if we want to further strengthen our response not only against the pandemic – particularly in the roll-out of the much-awaited vaccines – but in many of our future endeavors,” Lacson said at the third annual economic and political briefing of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Graduate School.

He said the National ID system can facilitate a successful vaccine rollout which will lead to herd immunity. “Once we have that herd immunity, where about 75 to 80 percent of the population are vaccinated, we can move around, go on and resume our economic activities,” he said.

Lacson, who noted the Philippine economy contracted by 9.5 percent in 2020 which is the largest contraction ever recorded, lamented the “missed opportunity” in the early months of the pandemic where the National ID system could have helped facilitate the expeditious and efficient release of various stimulus funds of the government.