Recto: P25 B Nat'l ID must end woes of 7 M Pinoys without birth certificate

With a price tag of P25 billion, the National ID project should be able to solve the problem of 7.5 million Filipinos without birth certificates, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said.

"That should be one of the outcomes of the project," Recto said. "If there will be a mass list-up and registration, then perhaps we can use this activity to end the plight of those without birth certificates."

"Pwedeng tingnan ito na isa sa mga bonus ng proyekto," Recto said.

"What I'm saying is that we should use the national ID platform as an opportunity to solve the quandary of those who do not have birth documents. Kung gagastos na rin tayo ng ganito kalaki, baka pwede na hagipin yung problema ng mga kababayan nating walang birth certificate," he said.

On a related matter, Recto said an individual without or who cannot present a birth certificate can still register for a national ID by presenting "alternative or additional documents to prove his or her identity."

While the law states that the birth certificate is the basic documentary requirement for registration, this clause was inserted in cognizance of the reality that millions of Filipinos have no birth certificates, Recto said.

It emerged during the Senate debates that the measure - which President Duterte signed into law on August 6 as Republic Act 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act - will cost P25 billion, spread out over five years.

For 2018, the project has a budget of P2 billlion, lodged with the lead implementer, the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA).

It is estimated that 20 to 25 million Filipinos will register every year for five years, or about 60,000 a day, in data capture centers by at least eight government offices.

These are PSA regional and provincial offices, Local Civil Registry Offices, and offices of the GSIS, SSS, PhilHealth, PagIBIG Fund, Comelec, and PhilPost.