Two ranking congressmen from Mindanao are in favor of making the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) identified card (ID) a requirement for beneficiaries of government cash aid or "ayuda".
Agreeing to the suggestion of Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno were Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel and Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.
During the House Committee on Appropriations' deliberations on the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget last Friday, Aug. 26, Diokno told congressmen that the PhiSys ID--also known as the national ID--could be made a requirement for Filipinos in order for them to receive different kinds of ayuda.
"Yes I believe that it is a very good proposal and I will definitely support it," Pimentel said.
"This is actually the main objective of the national ID system so that we could use it in support of the governments programs," said the veteran solon, who is a member of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) contingent in the House of Representatives.
Asked if he thinks Diokno's ploy of using PhilSys in this manner would result to more sign up among Filipinos, Pimentel said: "Yes I believe its about time we put to good use the national ID system."
Barbers, on the other hand, was just as warm to the DOF chief's idea. "I'm OK with that."
Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs and himself a veteran lawmaker, recalled a measure that he filed during the previous Congress which, like Diokno's suggestion, sought to plug the holes in the distribution of government aid.
"I filed a bill last Congress a bill that sought to course through a government bank any funds that Filipinos receive from the government, be it ayuda, retirement pensions, etc. This means that all Filipinos must have a bank account even if their balance is only P100," he said.
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Last Friday, Diokno said: “We are thinking along the lines of limiting the beneficiaries to those who have national ID. This is to make sure that there is an incentive for citizens to get a national ID."
“Kasi malaki po ang leakage sa mga ayuda na yan eh (There is a big leakage when it comes to those ayuda). I think you will agree with me that maybe the most efficient way to do this is by requiring every citizen to have a national ID,” he told the House members.