Arroyo orders release of P750M for unified ID system
02/19/2008 | 09:59 PM
President Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday ordered Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr to release P750 million for the implementation of the Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) System.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the system would unify the existing IDs of the National Statistics Office (NSO), Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System, and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth)
Bunye said Mrs Arroyo wanted Metro Manila informal settlers, electricity discount coupon holders, social welfare services beneficiaries, and Pag-IBIG Fund members covered by the ID system.
He said SSS Chairman Corazon de la Paz presented the update on the unification scheme during a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday.
Bunye said the government was on target in its implementation of the system, except for the Central Verification and Enrollment Agency and the Biometrics Data Matching Center components of the NSO ID system that needed funds.
“It's just a matter of adopting a common reference number for all this ID system. So we're on track. The release would further accelerate the implementation UMID system," he said.
Executive Order 420 transfered the implementation of the ID system to the SSS from the National Economic and Development Authority.
SSS Vice President May Catherine Ciriaco said the NSO would need an additional P250 million in 2009 to implement the system.
She said Philhealth would need P1 billion for the system's initial set up this year, and P2 billion next year.
Ciriaco said the needed funds could be charged against the Philhealth Operating Cost and e-Gov Fund.
She said the 10 million ID cards that were issued by the SSS could already qualify as “transition-UMID cards."
UMID cards will be issued to new SSS applicants starting this year, according to Ciriaco. - GMANews.TV
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the system would unify the existing IDs of the National Statistics Office (NSO), Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System, and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth)
Bunye said Mrs Arroyo wanted Metro Manila informal settlers, electricity discount coupon holders, social welfare services beneficiaries, and Pag-IBIG Fund members covered by the ID system.
He said SSS Chairman Corazon de la Paz presented the update on the unification scheme during a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday.
Bunye said the government was on target in its implementation of the system, except for the Central Verification and Enrollment Agency and the Biometrics Data Matching Center components of the NSO ID system that needed funds.
“It's just a matter of adopting a common reference number for all this ID system. So we're on track. The release would further accelerate the implementation UMID system," he said.
Executive Order 420 transfered the implementation of the ID system to the SSS from the National Economic and Development Authority.
SSS Vice President May Catherine Ciriaco said the NSO would need an additional P250 million in 2009 to implement the system.
She said Philhealth would need P1 billion for the system's initial set up this year, and P2 billion next year.
Ciriaco said the needed funds could be charged against the Philhealth Operating Cost and e-Gov Fund.
She said the 10 million ID cards that were issued by the SSS could already qualify as “transition-UMID cards."
UMID cards will be issued to new SSS applicants starting this year, according to Ciriaco. - GMANews.TV
