The Philippine Navy (PN) mobilized one of its landing crafts to transport Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration kits to Visayas Saturday.
BRP Ivatan (LC298), skippered by Lt. Commander Paul Anthony Yamamoto, departed Sangley Point, Cavite City to bring 35,481 tons of cargoes, which include 1,897 PhilSys registration kits to Cebu, Bohol, Iloilo, Antique, Capiz, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, and Leyte.
Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, acting director of the naval public affairs office, said the initiative was part of the military's commitment to provide logistics support to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and Philippine Statistics Office (PSA) in the realization of the national identification system.
"This mission underscores the capability of the PN, among other AFP branches of service, to provide much needed logistical support especially in this time of pandemic when inter-island and provincial transportations are limited," Roxas said.
"It further demonstrates the PN's readiness to collaborate with other government agencies towards bringing to the people the services they need," she added.
Aside from the Navy, the AFP also assigned the Philippine Army (PA) to distribute PhilSys registration kits in Luzon, and the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in Mindanao.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) earlier committed to lend its sea, air, and land assets to NEDA and PSA to enable the distribution of PhilSys registration kits to 32 PSA provincial across the country.
The NEDA and PSA sought the military's help to accelerate the implementation of the PhilSys nationwide with the registration of at least five million household heads from low income-families by the end of 2020.
The national government aims to start issuing Personal Serial Number (PSN) and Philippine Identification (Phil ID) cards to 92 million Filipinos by 2022.
AFP chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay had said that the national ID system will "promote a peaceful and secure environment as criminal, terrorists, and other lawless elements will find it difficult to assume fake identities to commit crime and terorrism in the community."