National ID system rollout starts with cash transfer beneficiaries

THE IMPLEMENTATION of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) IDs will finally take off as the government begins the six-month trial for distribution, covering the one million unconditional cash transfer beneficiaries. “The PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) shall already call for a bid to do the PhilSys system for the proof of concept next week. So next week, we are going to already invite bids,” National Statistician Lisa Grace S. Bersales said in a press briefing at the Palace yesterday. She added that PSA will be doing “a proof of concept this year before the year ends, and “this is to test the system and the processes that [they] have already crafted for the Philippine Identification System.” “We shall be enrolling one million unconditional cash transfer beneficiaries and so we will also partner with the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) to identify this one million,” Ms. Bersales said. After the proof of concept is tested for about six months, she said the PSA will then “learn from what happened and adjust any — or make any adjustments on the technical specifications and other processes for PhilSys, then next year we will do the procurement of the full PhilSys system learning from the proof of concept.” — Arjay L. Balinbin