President-elect Bongbong Marcos underscored on Monday, June 20 the need to hasten the release of national identification cards (IDs) among Filipinos.
Marcos, in an impromptu press briefing at the BBM headquarters in Mandaluyong City, said he finds the current level of issuance of national IDs as "lacking".
"Because, right now, we're, I think we're up to 12 million. Is that the correct number? Yeah, we're up to 12 million, kulang na kulang pa yun (that is very lacking), and all of these things," he told reporters.
The national ID in the Philippines is dubbed the Philippine Identification System ID (PhilSys ID). It is also known as the Philippine Identification Card (PhilID).
Twelve million is roughly 10 percent of the country’s population.
Why does the incoming leader from Ilocandia want the release of national IDs ramped up? Marcos gave a very practical reason--these IDs, he said, can facilitate the distribution of aid or "ayuda" to Filipinos.
"Things like the giving of the ayuda, all of these things that we are trying for, going to digitize the bureaucracy...Having their national ID and a good database for the government that the government should have," he said.
It was only April 2020, or during the first few weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic that the national government carried out a countrywide effort to provide cash aid to poor Filipino families. The existence of a national ID back the would have undoubtedly made the process a lot quicker.
Marcos noted that the indigents in the country must be properly listed.