The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have signed an agreement that will facilitate the identification and verification of beneficiaries for the different social welfare programs.
Last Sept. 17, the PSA and DSWD sealed a memorandum of agreement on the latter’s adoption of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), the official national identity card for Filipino citizens and foreign permanent residents in the country.
Based on the agreement, the DSWD will pilot test the PhilSys in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
DSWD’s 4Ps is the country’s national poverty reduction strategy and flagship safety net program, which was institutionalized through the Republic Act No. 11310.
It aims to invest in the health and education of children from poor households, and currently provides support to over four million households in the country.
Meanwhile, the AICS is part of DSWD’s protective services to support marginalized individuals and families recovering from unexpected crisis situations, such as the sudden death of a family member.
In the next three-years, there will be gradual integration of PhilSys into all DSWD programs, the PSA said.
National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said the PSA and DSWD’s agreement is a “breakthrough” in strengthening the financial inclusivity of public services.
PhilSys will enable the quick deliver services to the public through the programs under the DSWD, Mapa said.
The partnership places DSWD as the first national government agency to adopt PhilSys in identifying and verifying its beneficiaries.
Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista said that PhilSys will promote seamless service delivery of DSWD’s social protection programs in an efficiency, and transparency approach.
It is also a step towards financial inclusion for the DSWD beneficiaries and clients, Baustista added.
“The PhilSys ID, as a valid proof of identity, is easily accessible to everyone. It opens a lot of opportunities for the unbanked poor and vulnerable sectors particularly on easier registration with the bank and other financial institutions of their choice,” he added.
The benefits of PhilSys adoption include digitizing and streamlining DSWD’s beneficiary registration, establishing a united beneficiary database, identifying and removing duplicate or ghost beneficiaries, and enabling financial inclusion and digital payments.