http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news01_april21_2006

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday ordered the national ID system implemented immediately and its guidelines drafted quickly after the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality on Wednesday.

Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said the guidelines might be released within the month or before May 15 at the latest.

The government plans to launch the national ID system initially in three government agencies: the National Economic and Development Authority, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., and the National Statistics Office.

The Department of Interior and Local Government and two senators welcomed the national ID system, but a party-list representative slammed it.

“People should [not be afraid] that their privacy will be invaded should the ID system be enforced,” Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said.
“It will make it easier for the police to track down criminals.”

“The enlightened ruling and decision of the Supreme Court proves to everyone that they are still independent of Malacañang,” Senator Manuel Villar said.

“The people’s trust and confidence in the judiciary will surely be reinforced because of this.”

“The constitutionality of a unified ID is welcome news to people who are aware that IDs guarantee benefits to the holder,” Senator Ralph Recto said.
“Those are what matter to holders of any ID, be they workers in government, factories or the self-employed.”

But Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said he and his group would file a motion questioning the Supreme Court action affirming the legality of Executive Order 420, which prescribes the national ID system.

“Had they heard our arguments [against the ID system], I’m sure the Supreme Court would have had a different outlook,” Casiño said.
But Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Filipinos had nothing to worry about the ID system.

“President Arroyo has given the go-signal to the Cabinet to get the ID system on track for immediate implementation,” he said.

“Issues averting to infringement of human rights are phantom fears. The system has enough safeguards to protect the citizens from imagined violations of their right to privacy.”

Bunye said the ID system would complement the government campaign against terrorism particularly in the south, where the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network is said to be operating.

“Every strong and progressive nation has a national ID system in one form or another,” Bunye said.

“We appreciate the Supreme Court decision not only for its contribution to national security but its effect in facilitating the delivery of vital government programs as well.”

But Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri said there was no budget yet for the ID system.

“Eventually, if it’s really a good system, then that’s the time we spend and ask for a budget,” he said.

He said the government was expecting a decision from Spain to grant a request for about P31 million in grants to finance a pilot ID system. Joyce Pangco Pañares, Michael Caber, Roy Pelovello, Macon Ramos Araneta, Fel V. Maragay

my god it's the 666 id sysytem code... :lol: LOL hail satan!!!!! nyahaha

I believe there's nothing wrong about it. It has been declared constitutional according to the Supreme Court. As a matter of fact, the court states that the information given in the said identification card does not curtail any constitutional rights and freedom of the people.

I am for the unified ID system for qualified identification purposes so as to deter crimes as well as to facilitate a faster delivery of services on public transactions.

yep I agree to with a national ID system

The National ID system will facilitate the delivery of basic services and help combat crime and terrorism. Anyway, there's no information that will be gathered that isn't already with the government. The ID will merely integrate the info found in government ID's like SSS, GSIS, TIN, etc. It will definitely be more convenient than having to lug many separate ID's around.

Yup, this'll make our lives easier. And besides, I'm so excited about how the ID would actually look like.

Lacson pulls surprise, backs Arroyo on ID plan


President Arroyo on Friday got the support she wanted for the "harmonized ID system" not from one of her allies but from Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a man known to have been spearheading calls for her resignation.

"This is one effort that deserves our full support. I have been advocating such a program even when I headed the Philippine National Police (PNP) and I filed a bill for such a national ID system as early as 2004," he said in a statement. The senator, however, said safeguards should be in place.

Lacson said the project could improve efficiency in the bureaucracy though the proper safeguards should be institutionalized first.

In 2004 Lacson filed Senate Bill 833 for the National Reference Card System Act. The bill aims to provide one single code to each citizen at birth and a reference card carrying their number and other vital information when they start participating actively in society.

He said that other countries, including those with democratic form of government such as Brazil, German and Italy, have a national reference system.

The senator, a former PNP chief, said the increase in criminality and "continuing challenge of terrorism" have rendered the need for a national identification system urgent. He said an ID system should help facilitate the apprehension and prosecution of those who violate the law.

Lacson's defense of the "harmonized ID system," set for introduction by October, came in the wake of criticisms that the project could invade the privacy of citizens, a claim dismissed by its proponents.

"The information that would be available in the harmonized ID system already exists in the driver's license like the name, date of birth, place of birth, residence and the thumb print," Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri said in a DZMM interview Friday.

This is indeed good... actually during the 2004 elections they said they were going to give id's to those who will vote. I went in line at the down town bay center and they took pictures all of the people i know 18 up went there. But sadly only a very few of my family member cousins, friends and relatives got the i.d. that they were suppose to deliver and its has been 2 years and most of us still don't have it.

^^That was definitely not the same ID as the one we're talking about here.

yeah i know what im saying is baka ganun din yung manyari katulad nung dati na hindi nila nabigay samin yung ID namin.

ok lang basta magagamit din as e-card, credit card, driver's license, sss, gsis, pag-ibig, pangswipe sa mga tollgates, sa mrt, sa jeep, as phonecard, etc.

baka naman ang kinalabasan kartolina lang at kelangan pang ilaminate. hehe.

Is that the way it will work? The ID will also work as an ID for the different agencies?

National IDs out this year
By Roderick T. dela Cruz

The government will start issuing “harmonized” ID cards that will be recognized by all public agencies by the third quarter, following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld their legality.

Malacañang has given the National Economic and Development Authority 30 days to draw up the mechanics for the harmonized ID system based on Executive Order 420.

In a radio interview with radio dzMM, Economic Planning Secretary and Neda director general Romulo Neri said the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. will be the first to issue the new ID, which will contain personal information that is already captured in the driver’s license.

Addressing privacy concerns, Neri said the harmonized ID will not include sensitive information and said EO 420 contains enough safeguards against encroachment into personal information.

Administration allies in the House of Representatives, meanwhile, said they are inclined to legislate a national ID that would cover not only government personnel but the general public, too. Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, however, warned that such an ID could be used to track and crush legitimate opposition.

On the other hand, an outspoken critic of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Senator Panfilo Lacson, supported the government’s plan to use a unified ID.

“This is one effort that deserves our full support,” said Lacson, who used to be the national police chief. “I have been advocating such a program ever since, when I headed the PNP [Philippine National Police], and I filed a bill for such a national ID system as early as 2004,” Lacson said.

National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, for his part, said the recent Supreme Court ruling should pave the way for the enactment of a law mandating the issuance of a single, computerized ID to all Filipinos.

“What the high tribunal approved is not even a national ID system, since it covers only government personnel. It’s time for the Philippines to follow the example of developed countries by junking the antiquated system of issuing [multiple] identification cards,” he said.

The Armed Forces, too, said a national ID system would help the government in its antiterrorism campaign.

Neda had issued implementing rules on EO 420 as early as July 2005, but the ID program stalled when opposition lawmakers and privacy advocates challenged its constitutionality before the Supreme Court.

The rules prescribe that all government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations issuing ID cards should be covered by the unified ID system.

The new ID card will contain three types of data: basic information that includes the name, date and place of birth, name of parents and sex; biometric data including a photo, signature and finger prints; and other data including home address, marital status, height, weight, prominent distinguishing features and the tax identification number.

Definitely a good idea as you guys have already pointed out. I believe one major criticism before was that it would trample on people's rights. I don't really see how it can.

ok lang basta magagamit din as e-card, credit card, driver's license, sss, gsis, pag-ibig, pangswipe sa mga tollgates, sa mrt, sa jeep, as phonecard, etc.

baka naman ang kinalabasan kartolina lang at kelangan pang ilaminate. hehe.

I don't think it can be used as a driver's license. an authority to drive with certain period to renew, type of license and vehicle categories masyado na marami ang entries sa id. isa pa paano kapag magka traffic violation dapat huwag nila kunin.

Search is on for best ID system database
By Sam Mediavilla, Reporter

For Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, the database of the Government Service and Insurance System would be a good start in setting up a national identification system.

But National Economic and Development Authority Director General Romulo Neri believes the database of the National Statistics Office (NSO) is a better takeoff point.

Palace officials continued to differ Friday over what information directory will work best for the national ID plan, even as Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a staunch critic of the Arroyo administration, gave the system the thumbs up.

Discussion about the ID system has been revived after the Supreme Court declared constitutional the national identification system proposed by the Arroyo administration.

Bunye explained that the GSIS’s database could be the base for all other IDs.

But in a radio interview, Neri said he’s inclined to tap the most expensive and comprehensive database in the country, that of the NSO.

Go-ahead

Bunye said the government could not give a timetable when the unified ID system would take effect, “but it’s clear that the go-signal from the Supreme Court will enable us to go ahead with whatever the executive department was planning much earlier.”

Neri said immediate and automatic candidates for the unified ID are employees of the NEDA, NSO and PhilHealth members.

He said the ID system would be operational by September or October.

Neri dismissed allegations that the implementation of a unified ID system could lead to human-rights violations.

“It’s not true. It’s not even a requirement. That is why we do not need legislation,” he said.

Bunye said that once the plan gains wider acceptance it could be carried out “on a much bigger scale. But first we must have to acquire experience on a one-ID system because it would be very beneficial to us.”

Crossing party lines, Lacson said a properly implemented ID scheme will stop crime and terrorism and boost efforts to simplify transactions with citizens.

Lacson backs the ID

Lacson, who has backed the ID system since he headed the Philippine National Police, said that proper safeguards in place would ensure the program would greatly improve efficiency in the bureaucracy.

“This is one effort that deserves our full support. I have been advocating such a program even when I headed the PNP, and I filed a bill for a national ID system as early as 2004,” he said.

Many democratic countries including Brazil, Germany and Italy have a national reference system.

Lacson filed Senate Bill 833, the National Reference Card System Act of 2004, which aims to provide one single code to each citizen at birth and a reference card carrying the number of citizens and other vital information when they participate actively in society.

He noted that big “leaps in criminality and the continuing challenge of terrorism have rendered the need for a national identification system urgent.”

The card, which shall contain security features, contains the bearer’s name, address, blood type and next of kin.

The bill limits the number of persons who have access to the data on the card, which will be the only official identification of the bearer in dealing with government agencies and applying for a driver’s license, passport, marriage license, death certificate and business permits.

Persons will be subjected to the usual rigorous identification and verification if they fail to present their cards, but they will not be denied any of the basic services.

Penalties

Those found faking information on the card face imprisonment for up to six years.

Those who refuse to accept, acknowledge or recognize the card face a six-month prison term. Those involved in the authorized disclosure of data will be fined P50,000.
--With Patricia Esteves

I agree with the National ID system just like the DMV State ID here in the US. Will this eliminate the Jose Pidals, Jose Velardes and all aliases for business transactions?

That will be better than the futuristic micro-electronic identity implants to each person that some countries are considering.

It's almost 2007. Does anybody know when the Philippine National ID will be implemented. Is the Senate doing it's job?
Any update on this?!

If the National ID system will be used to make the business transactions with the government
offices faster and efficient then that is a good project.

Since that mentioned ID is an electronic card then all personal informations can be put electronically in that ID. And with the new technology, I am sure when you use that ID to a machine card reader then I suppose a central office will notice that that card was used in that locality.

Then that ID is also nice for tracking terrorist and enemy of the state.

But then look at this scenario : Suppose you are an honest to goodness nationalistic citizen and because of your vocal views about a political issue a government office branded you as a person to watch or a subversive person.

With the mentioned National ID system any one can be tracked easily, so the opposition party, human right groups, nationalist and other groups opposes the implementation of that ID system since it will violates their privacy and their human rights.

imo, don't you worry, you haven't reached that point yet .... :lol:


But then look at this scenario : Suppose you are an honest to goodness nationalistic citizen and because of your vocal views about a political issue a government office branded you as a person to watch or a subversive person.

^^ :D :lol: :lol: :lol:

Alam ko naka-pilot na sa isang department ng gobyerno. I heard it on the news.

imo, don't you worry, you haven't reached that point yet .... :lol:

May nang-aasar :lol:

imo, don't you worry, you haven't reached that point yet .... :lol:

and i know i will never reached it.

but i worry about you, with your overzealous campaign for severing ties with the central government, sooner or later you might be cited for treasons.... my dear Professor from Berlin....

:lol: :lol: :lol:

In my case, I see it as more of an advantage if we have a National ID. Less hassle of having to apply for different ID cards from different institutions in the country. Up 'til now I still don't have an SSS id, and I've been contributing for about four years. One ID that houses all my info means a lot less bulky wallet.

kasama na ba sa national ID ang voter's ID? tagal ng voter's ID ko eh... after pa daw ng election... wala lang. :)

In my case, I see it as more of an advantage if we have a National ID. Less hassle of having to apply for different ID cards from different institutions in the country. Up 'til now I still don't have an SSS id, and I've been contributing for about four years. One ID that houses all my info means a lot less bulky wallet.

actually it is quite easy now to get an SSS card, the PC camera will take your photos and a few months they may sent it by mail or you can collect it.

and i know i will never reached it.

:lol: :lol: :lol:


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

^^ Patawa naman kayo. :lol:

With the mentioned National ID system any one can be tracked easily, so the opposition party, human right groups, nationalist and other groups opposes the implementation of that ID system since it will violates their privacy and their human rights.

i beg to disagree, what privacy are you talking about? unless someone have something to hide, a person should not use a lame excuse that govt is abusing someone's right of privacy where infact, the national ID system is common institution of more vibrant and ultra democratic countries in the world. It's not a top secret anymore not to display someone's age, blood type, color of your skin, address etc in the ID card.

i beg to disagree, what privacy are you talking about? unless someone have something to hide, a person should not use a lame excuse that govt is abusing someone's right of privacy where infact, the national ID system is common institution of more vibrant and ultra democratic countries in the world. It's not a top secret anymore not to display someone's age, blood type, color of your skin, address etc in the ID card.

i hope emesber understands this.

Having a National ID with all your pertinent information will move things easier and will lessen the hassle of shuttling back and forth between all government agencies/departments.

IMO, they should only have the following information stored:
1. Legal name.
2. Date of birth.
3. SS number.
4. Voter ID number (if applicable).
5. Driver's license number (if applicable).
6. Owner's photo (should be periodically updated upon ID renewal).

i will add tax account no. in your list :)

Having a National ID with all your pertinent information will moving things easier and will lessen the hassle of shuttling back and forth between all government agencies/departments.

IMO, they should only have the following information stored:
1. Legal name.
2. Date of birth.
3. SS number.
4. Voter ID number (if applicable).
5. Driver's license number (if applicable).
6. Owner's photo (should be periodically updated upon ID renewal).

i will add tax account no. in your list :)

Why not just have the SS no. the same as the tax account no.? That will simplify and systematize things even more.

Why not just have the SS no. the same as the tax account no.? That will simplify and systematize things even more.

pwede rin, pero we're talking of two institutions here and one safeguard of the NIC (i'm referring to EU) is to maintain confidentiality among departments and offices. so hindi sila pwedeng mag-cross check beyond their area of jurisdiction (i.e. without the court's order).

Having a National ID with all your pertinent information will move things easier and will lessen the hassle of shuttling back and forth between all government agencies/departments.

IMO, they should only have the following information stored:
1. Legal name.
2. Date of birth.
3. SS number.
4. Voter ID number (if applicable).
5. Driver's license number (if applicable).
6. Owner's photo (should be periodically updated upon ID renewal).

i will add tax account no. in your list :)

I will add some more:

Philhealth No. (if applicable)
Pag-ibig No. (if applicable)
PRC License Info (if applicable)

I am for a National ID eversince. You can get rid of all other ID cards in your wallet na once in a blue moon mo lang naman ginagamit. Pag tinago mo naman kasi, there is a tendency na makalimutan mo kung saan mo nilagay lalo na sa mga medyo nagkaka-edad na.

These informations are nothing to hide. What’s the big fuss?

If the National ID card includes Voter’s ID, maiiwasan na siguro mga flying voters. I don’t know about the process but I imagine just swiping your ID after voting instead of doing those thumbmarks and marking your nails with indelible ink. Tapos may security mechanism na pag pinahiram mo yung ID sa iba para bumoto uli, di na ito tatanggapin.

If the National ID card includes Voter’s ID, maiiwasan na siguro mga flying voters. I don’t know about the process but I imagine just swiping your ID after voting instead of doing those thumbmarks and marking your nails with indelible ink. Tapos may security mechanism na pag pinahiram mo yung ID sa iba para bumoto uli, di na ito tatanggapin.

Good idea. If when this pushes through, just think of the less hassle we'd have when voting. Of course, we should have an excellent security system as well. :)

ID cards that contain all these info is pretty much common in other countries, as previously mentioned. My relatives in Florida have one, and it's pretty much just identification that has all the info it one needs (SS, TIN, citizen # [whatever that may be], the legal name & address, emergency contact, medical info), and usually it's just that and their driver's license is what they need for identification.

^^ True! One can get by (most of the time) just by using their Driver's license or State-issued ID card. :colgate:

(BTW, I'm from Florida!)

^^ Does it have any electronic capabilities like what we're discussing? :)

My initial impression of a national ID is that it'll basically be just a card that contains all the info that's needed whenever you go to the bank or to apply for something. I'm all for it being er, "electronically capable" (I'm sure you guys know what I mean ehehe), but in the meantime, a regular ID will do until we can upgrade :)

^^ The newer FL State IDs/Driver licenses have those capabilities, and they're mostly used by our State Troopers and Law Enforcement officers during traffic stops/violations. If you ask me from a visual standpoint, they look U-G-L-Y! :lol:

^^ Hmm. I should ask my aunt about that when she visits.

That's impressive. I would like to see something like that here in the Philippines. Just think of all the time and effort it will save once it's properly implemented. And if it's utilized properly by our traffic enforcers, I'm sure people will think twice about violating traffic rules.

Then again, I'm being an idealist *sigh*

i hope emesber understands this.

I hope you will also inform our more educated and more smart Lawmakers in the Senate and in the House of Representatives about the said ID so that they won't oppose it. Perhaps they can learn something from you. :lol:

Also please advise our mutual friends in the NDF, the cause oriented groups like Mabini, Gabriela, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Bayan Muna, Akbayan, Bisig, KMU, and other nationalist groups about the necessity of the National ID system. :lol: :lol:

I hope you will also inform our more educated and more smart Lawmakers in the Senate and in the House of Representatives about the said ID so that they won't oppose it. Perhaps they can learn something from you. :lol:

Also please advise our mutual friends in the NDF, the cause oriented groups like Mabini, Gabriela, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Bayan Muna, Akbayan, Bisig, KMU, and other nationalist groups about the necessity of the National ID system. :lol: :lol:

they already know that, but just like many Filipinos like you - they want to oppose almost everthing to create political chaos ... until irresponsible people like them will not fade in this world, there are no hopes left for the younger generation pinoys..... i hope I'm wrong.. now show your good side Lolo Emesber :) , show to the world that you're dynamic and not afraid of changes, prove me wrong :cheers:

gosh; everywhere i go, it's "emesber VS rajah_soliman" :lol: peace! j/k

anyway, for convenience's sake, let's have a national ID. the voter's ID being integrated with it would be a nice idea. i like shyaman's idea but instead of swiping your ID "after" voting, i'll have it swiped "before" voting. if the system clears the bearer of the ID (meaning he hasn't voted yet) then that's the only time he is given a ballot and allowed to vote.

But then look at this scenario : Suppose you are an honest to goodness nationalistic citizen and because of your vocal views about a political issue a government office branded you as a person to watch or a subversive person.

With the mentioned National ID system any one can be tracked easily, so the opposition party, human right groups, nationalist and other groups opposes the implementation of that ID system since it will violates their privacy and their human rights.

i don't think a government agency you are doing business with, say GSIS or BIR, cares if you're affiliated with the opposition or the left wing or whatever. you go to their office to do business, and whether you're an oppositionist or not is irrelevant. i don't think that would happen because the info you would provide them (or the info on your ID) does not include your political affiliations. meron bang ID na nakasulat don kung Lakas or LDP member/supporter ka?

Perhaps he is so mad to me owing before I lawyered for his " lady friend " who resided near the Artic Circle.

i'm trying hard to integrate his ideas which need a bit of "calibration" (i admit i'm getting harsh on him sometimes) but there is nothing personal about what i'm saying, emesber is like a grandpa to me :)

i presume that he's one of the oldies here who have a different mind set. for me he epitomizes the current state of our culture and politics (call it dilemma).. we need to come into terms with people like him to move forward, otherwise I wouldn't be wasting time exchanging words with him ..... shalom ...


gosh; everywhere i go, it's "emesber VS rajah_soliman" :lol: peace! j/k

anyway, for convenience's sake, let's have a national ID. the voter's ID being integrated with it would be a nice idea. i like shyaman's idea but instead of swiping your ID "after" voting, i'll have it swiped "before" voting. if the system clears the bearer of the ID (meaning he hasn't voted yet) then that's the only time he is given a ballot and allowed to vote.



i don't think a government agency you are doing business with, say GSIS or BIR, cares if you're affiliated with the opposition or the left wing or whatever. you go to their office to do business, and whether you're an oppositionist or not is irrelevant. i don't think that would happen because the info you would provide them (or the info on your ID) does not include your political affiliations. meron bang ID na nakasulat don kung Lakas or LDP member/supporter ka?

Perhaps he is so mad to me owing before I lawyered for his " lady friend " who resided near the Artic Circle.

i'm not mad about that emesber and i'm not even mad at her :wave:

Decided to post this article here since I didn't really know where it belongs. :colgate:

==========================================================

Passport crisis coming — Sen. Roxas
Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Sen. Mar Roxas on Monday warned of a looming passport crisis.

He reminded officials that the Philippines should have machine-readable passports soon or Filipinos will find it hard to enter the United States and the European countries.

“It is ironic,” he said, “that the Philippines has a brand new law against terrorism, but its passports are still primitive and unfit for new international travel standards.”

This ironic situation is aggravated by a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs that the country’s supply of its current passports will last only up to June and may not be replenished due to an existing court battle over a new, improved and more modern E-Passport program.

Worried about the problem, Roxas has appealed to the Supreme Court to immediately act on an urgent petition by the DFA to enable government to jumpstart the modernization of the Philippine passport and prevent a looming passport crisis.

“Outdated as our passports are compared to the rest of the world, what is worse is a looming crisis where none of the Filipino travelers can avail themselves either of a jurassic or modern Philippine passport. We shall then be in passport limbo,” Roxas said.

“In the testimony of Assistant Secretary Domingo Lucenario during the court hearing, he clearly stated that the country’s passport supply is only up to June this year. It takes at least seven months for the BSP to deliver new passports,” he said.

Roxas pointed out that the legal battle that has reached up to the Supreme Court has impeded the acquisition of the E-Passports.

“Once the supply of passports runs out, and unless there is a way to go around the legal skirmishes, the constitutional right to travel of thousands of Filipino travelers and our overseas Filipino workers could be seriously impaired,” he added.

The senator lamented the fact that the strictness of our antiterror law is not mirrored in the integrity and efficiency of our systems.

“How ironic it is that while the international community lauded our antiterror law, our OFWs and other Filipino travelers bearing such prehistoric passports have to suffer extraordinary scrutiny at all major international airports,” he said.

“The point here is if we are to address terrorism, it should not only be in making a law, but, more importantly, in improving and modernizing our law enforcement. We haven’t even made the computers of NBI to communicate with those of Immigration and other relevant agencies,” he added.

“This is one reason why I voted against the antiterror law. We are crafting a law that reduces our rights and civil liberties, while other measures—modernizing our investigation, immigration and other systems and databases—could have been implemented instead,” he said.

Roxas said the need to have this Supreme Court case resolved favorably is immediate, also because the Philippines is one of the few remaining countries without passports that could help the government monitor terrorist movements.

The present supply of passports, Roxas said, is of the “jurassic” type, as new immigration trends and international standards call for machine-readable passports.

He said the Philippines is the only country in Asia without a modern passport, and is included on a short list of similarly passport-primitive countries. These are Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Mauritania, Nepal, Chad, Togo, Tunisia and Guinee-Bissau.

“This list includes the world’s poorest African countries. For example, Chad is a conflict-ridden country, affected by drought and armed rebellion, with hundreds and thousands of Sudanese refugees crossing into their borders. What is our excuse?” he said.

Roxas appealed to the Supreme Court to act with dispatch on a pending petition filed before it by the DFA to prevent a possible passport crisis.

“This legal battle stands in the way of our national dignity with Filipino tourists and overseas workers having to suffer the embarrassment of extraordinary scrutiny in all major international airports because of our primitive passports. This legal battle is not just over an ordinary travel document, but about our dignity as Filipinos.”

^wala lang. I just noticed that senators are so good in predicting crises especially when it is election time. Sana laging may elections para lagi silang may makikita.

^wala lang. I just noticed that senators are so good in predicting crises especially when it is election time. Sana laging may elections para lagi silang may makikita.

As in meron silang kikitain? :lol: J/K

Hmm..I should make my fake passports done already...new identity

A 21st century passport (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/mar/20/yehey/opinion/20070320opi1.html)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007

As a badge of national identity, the passport is a very important document. It is the key to entry in any country. It satisfies one of the requirements of foreign travel.

Private businesses and government offices often require it for self-identification. For this reason, owners are urged to report its loss or theft immediately, and to have it revalidated on appropriate dates. Keeping the passport updated and renewed is a must.

A Philippine passport ought to be a proud emblem of one’s citizenship and heritage. Yet many foreign governments look down on it for numerous reasons. At foreign international airports, immigration officers are likely to give a Philippine passport more scrutiny than usual.

Immigration officers usually suspect the Filipino wants to stay in the host country permanently. Immigration officers shake their heads over its “Third-World” technology. Some smell forgery because Manila has a reputation for counterfeiting.

It is not surprising to have Filipino travelers singled out for interrogation at foreign airports. We have read many stories about well-known Filipinos being asked to step aside and answer questions at the immigration office.

Our passports also do not meet the yardsticks of international travel papers. They are not machine-readable. Note the primitive way of scripting and the way photographs are manually attached to the data page. This makes passports easy to tamper with.

Sen. Mar Roxas, who has traveled extensively, said Filipino travelers including overseas Filipino workers, would soon have access to world-class passports within the year under the Department of Foreign Affairs’ E-Passport Program. The new passport will help enhance the country’s image, he said.

Roxas has spent time studying the passport development program and its impact on travel. It wasn’t the technology alone that bothered him, but also an impending shortage of passports, brought about by a temporary restraining order preventing the DFA and the Bangko Sentral from producing the e-passport project.

On the representation of the senator and Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, the Supreme Court lifted the TRO last week. The decision will help the Philippines meet the international deadline for machine-readable passports on April 1, 2010.

Roxas, chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, said that the court’s ruling allows the Philippines to catch up with 95 percent of countries that have machine-readable passports.

The e-passports will contain enhanced security features with an embedded IC chip to help eliminate passport tampering. The document will have more pages, from the present 32 to 44, and will be processed and released at a faster time.

The additional security features and the new system of data retrieval and storage under the program are potentially effective tools against terrorism, security experts say.

“More than the antiterror law, modernizing our passports is a concrete step toward protecting our national security without any diminution of our civil liberties,” Roxas said.

The e-passports, with a maroon cover, will come out toward the third quarter of 2007. By that time, the Philippine passport will make a historic passage from the Jurassic age to the Matrix era.

A 21st century passport (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/mar/20/yehey/opinion/20070320opi1.html)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007

As a badge of national identity, the passport is a very important document. It is the key to entry in any country. It satisfies one of the requirements of foreign travel. ............................

........................................
The e-passports, with a maroon cover, will come out toward the third quarter of 2007. By that time, the Philippine passport will make a historic passage from the Jurassic age to the Matrix era.


Some industrialized nations are already implementing a biometric passport system. Citizens re-entering Dubai or Hongkong, for instance, merely swipe their passports under an electronic scanner and pass through Immigration hassle free. The United States also has the biometric system using the tips of both forefingers and an eye/face scanner to identify foreigners entering the country.

I have my own identity card and it works like a charm. Dealing with any government office or bank is a breeze with just a show of the NRIC number on the card. What takes days and weeks in ANY Phil. govt office only takes a few hours here na hindi na kailangan pang pa-balik balik pa depende sa mood ng clerk.

One very important thing which lessens corruption here is the use of credit cards in payment for any government office.

I actually fill out more forms and papers entering the Philippines than re-entering back here (I don't do any paperwork at all).

People who have a lot of issues against identity cards and biometrics are entitled to their opinion, but for law abiding folks its a none issue as far as I'm concerned. These things merely represent the wave of the future.

what we need is our own verion of hongkong's octopus, that would be so cool,.. oh well mangangarap na lang ako...

Scenes from the movie Gattaca come to mind with the use biometrics as a form of identification. :colgate:

what we need is our own verion of hongkong's octopus, that would be so cool,.. oh well mangangarap na lang ako...

The EZ link system here works similarly to Hongkong's Octopus, but with one big difference. The EZ link card can also buy you a ride on all the buses around the city. Thus, with one card you can go anywhere.

Topping up/ or re-loading the card is easy with several ATM-like machines in all the MRT stations.

If one prefers taxis, booking can be made over the phone & the cabbie arrives at the designated place and time. Taxis also accept credit cards/cash cards as well as cash.

Perhaps the govt can do a study on underground subway systems if these are feasible in Manila.

Scenes from the movie Gattaca come to mind with the use biometrics as a form of identification. :colgate:

Perhaps, but without any sinister undertones on the part of a "Big Brother". It has proven to work fantastically well in other countries; the ones who howl the loudest against these new systems are usually the ones with the most number of skeletons in the closet. In a way, a national identity card system and a biometric passport help instill that long overdue discipline to our populace.

Imagine this, it would take a garagantuan effort to "cheat" during elections when each citizen has but one ID card to swipe.

Some science publications had said that the iris of the eyes is more accurate at estabishing one's identity than the fingerprint. The United States INS has an extensive network of these systems at all the points of entry to their country(for both the iris & the fingerprints for both forefingers). The technology is already here & it really works. It is simple, fast & straightforward.

Also imagine this, all the government offices here do not accept cash as payment. The standard mode of payment is through the credit card & an issuance of an official receipt. Payment electronically goes direct to the treasury. With a system like that, the ubiquitous annoying, lazy & corrupt govt clerk will have to think twice or thrice about asking for more money because everything is so straightforward and above-board.

Perhaps the govt can also look into such systems (that is, if they are really serious about reducing graft & corruption.)
:)

^^ If only the Philippines can afford to implement such measures. But here's to hoping that they can soon! :cheers2:

National ID plan revived (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics1_aug11_2007)

Muntinlupa City Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon is reviving a proposal to create a national identification system covering Filipinos at least 18 years old.

The lawmaker, son of Senator Rodolfo Biazon who is former military chief, revived the proposal in his House Bill 54.

His National Identification card will contain the cardholders’ full name, residence address, date of birth, sex, height and weight, nationality and signature.

It could be used to serve as proof of a Filipino’s identity when doing transactions with any government agency, including the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System.

Militant groups such as the party-list Bayan Muna, Gabriela and Anakpawis vehemently opposed the National ID system when it was first floated in 2001. They said it would transgress into the right of privacy of people and enable the state to espy on every card-bearing Filipino.

Under Biazon’s bill, foreign nationals can also acquire an ID provided they have been staying legally in the Philippines for at least six months, with the appropriate documentation as required by law.

Those who want to register for the ID system or those who have to change their status or residence would have to transact at the Office of the Civil Registrar of the town or city where the applicant is located.

Biazon said no person will be allowed to register for an ID card more than once, and those who will do so with malicious intent or will submit false information will face appropriate punishment under said law.

Those who will be caught registering twice or more will be penalized with a fine of P1,000 or imprisonment of one year or both while those who give false information or secure an National Identification card for another person will be fined with P5,000 and one year imprisonment or both.

Under the proposal, the Department of Justice will be the agency preparing the application form for NICs, which will also contain the name of the spouse of the cardholder, if applicable; name of parents; residence (both permanent and temporary); occupation and other additional matters and information necessary as required by the department.

“The NIC can also be used as identification for admission in all schools, colleges and other learning institutions, both public and private,” Biazon said.

Common ID card to be used by next year (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news5_aug17_2007)

All Filipinos will be required to have a common ID card, the so-called unified multi-purpose identification system, by 2008, a government agency said yesterday.

The ID card is now being tested in three government agencies, and the National Economic and Development Authority said Filipinos would be able to transact business with government agencies and private firms with it.

“The full-blown implementation of the system is expected to start next year after the selection of a private sector partner following prescribed build-operate-transfer selection procedures,” Neda said in a statement.

It said Filipinos could use the card to secure a debit or credit card, a voter’s ID card, or an electronic pass to ride trains and buses.

Daniel Pabellon, Neda assistant director general, said all this would be possible through the use of radio frequency or the contact-less smart card technology—as well as various other applications for the ID card—once the technical working group on the ID system approved the integration of these new technologies.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo established the unified multi-purpose ID system through an executive order in 2005, and it required all government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations to streamline and harmonize their ID systems.

The government insists that the ID system is different from the national ID system that the Ramos administration had proposed.

Mrs. Arroyo has called it the “People’s ID Card,” saying it will make it more convenient and faster for holders to transact business with the government and private businesses.

The ID system is now being tested at the Neda, the National Statistics Office and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., and the test is expected to be completed in the third quarter this year.

Former Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri has said the implementation of the ID system is on track despite the absence of a national budget for it.

Earlier, the Supreme Court ruled that the system was within the President’s power and prerogative as chief executive as it merely sought to streamline and reduce the cost of maintaining the different ID systems in government.

But the court also ruled that it was not a national ID system, and therefore could not be covered by any separate national appropriation as it was only Congress that may do so once it established a national ID system.

come on people, lets go for a national ID. Malaysia has one plus other prominent nations

i think it would be really useful...take our case in Cebu for example, most criminals here aren't really from Cebu...if we had a national ID, people leaving and entering a province could be easily monitored...that would be helpful in tracking criminals and in capturing them...some provinces could even refuse to grant entry to some unfavorable personalities based on their ID

I think myself that this is really not a bad idea.. and that each should be required to carry one everywhere he goes..

though I'm not sure if this is going to be distributed free of cost for every one... because the poorer communities might not afford procuring them..

The downside to it is that you'll have the "Big Brother" effect. The government keeping tabs on you and your whereabouts, there's a false sense of security and freedom there. But if you have nothing to hide and you're a law-abiding citizen, and don't mind the stringent rules that may come along with it, then you have nothing to fear by having a national ID.

^^ issue parin ba ang "privacy?" eh db the SC held its constitutionality and trashed the last petition against it?

ID system to be tested in Basilan and Sulu (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics4_aug23_2007)

The National Identification System will be pilot-tested by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in strife-torn provinces of Basilan and Sulu, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said yesterday.

Ermita said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo decided during the National Security Council meeting last Tuesday to designate the interior and local government department to implement the identification system instead of the National Economic Development Authority.

“Before, it was with the National Economic Development Authority. But now, with her instructions for the military and the police to coordinate closely with local government units, she ordered it transferred to the DILG,” Ermita said.

During the meeting, Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan proposed that a provincial identification system be implemented in Mindanao to make it easier for the military to identify transients in areas where the Abu Sayyaf are believed to be in hiding.

Military Chief Hermogenes Esperon seconded Tan’s proposal and said the system can also be implemented in rebel-infested areas nationwide.

Earlier, an administration ally in the House of Representatives filed a bill which seeks to require people 18 years and older to have national identification cards.

Muntinlupa Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon filed House Bill 54, or the National Identification Card System Act of 2007, mandating Filipinos of legal age to provide information about themselves to the Department of Justice and to secure the identification card.

Biazon said the proposal can be considered a companion bill to the Human Security Act, or the anti-terrorism law.

The system has already been tested at the Neda, National Statistics Office, and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. The Land Bank of the Philippines had been contracted to produce and issue the identification cards.

Ako I'm with the national ID. I don't see anything wrong with it. It's just for the purpose that we can be easily identified. And for the criminals and would-be criminals to be apprehended and prevented from committing criminal offenses.

It will not violate our right to privacy. It will even work for our safety. If we are required to pay for it, then it's okay. I assume the ID would be permanent.

Parang State ID siguro yan katulad dito sa US.

http://www.dmv.state.ne.us/nddl/images/Digital-License/sample-id-minor.jpg

Only those with bad intentions or hiding something would be against this ID system.


(panibagong raket na naman sa Recto ito malamang) :lol:

^^ kailangan ng biometrics tech application, para tamper proof sya.

^^ Yup, yung may LED and the picture will smile when scanned on a machine if the holder is really that person (smell-o-vision technology). :D

Arroyo's economic team backs revival of national ID system (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2008/01/09/news/arroyo.s.economic.team.backs.revival.of.national.id.system.html)

Members of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos's economic team are banking on the proposed national identification (ID) system to improve the security situation in the country and help identify and account for all taxpayers.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) last Monday suggested to President Arroyo, the military's Commander-in-Chief, the implementation of the national ID system to hasten the neutralization of internal security threats.

Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and Trade Secretary Peter Favila expect the issue to be discussed in a briefing with the business sector, although no formal consultations on the matter have been done yet.

Favila said they would also try to get the side of the business sector along with other inputs that they may have on the ID system.

"Business is more concerned about security. Anything that will assure them of security, they will support it," he said.

He added that the ID system works in other countries and he sees no reason why it should not work out fine for the Philippines.

"If we have the proper implementation, then we can benefit for the purpose for which it is being put in place," he said.

Teves said they are open to the concept of a national ID system as it would help identify all taxpayers and eventually broaden the tax base in the country.

He said at present there are about 3.8 million to four million taxpayers but "the rule of thumb is it soul be at least 10 percent of the whole population". He said this would mean that there should be at least eight million of the 84 million Filipinos in the country.

Favila said the ID system is still at the planning stage and the President is leaving it to her security cluster to evaluate and work out the details.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the President directed him to conduct an in-depth study of the whole concept of the ID system, which would mean he would have to start from the beginning.

Teodoro said he has tapped Defense Assistant Secretary for Plans and Programs Roberto Emmanuel Feliciano to head the committee that would look into the proposal.

He assured the public that the pros and cons of the ID system would be included along with the fears and concerns of some sector and the corresponding safe guards to prevent abuse and violation of rights.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Avelino Razon Jr. said government is thinking if the system would be "based" on the Social Security System (SSS) or Philhealth identification cards, among others.

"The concentration is not on security concern but on government service that will be provided like Philhealth, SSS, among others. We should really establish an ID system and people should not be scared of this. The ID system is not in a way to infringe on basic human rights but to provide service to our countrymen, just like Philhealth and SSS," he said.

"Well, the main point is greater coordination of all the government agencies to defeat the threats to our internal security," he said, adding that the system would also help in the fight against criminality.

On whether the system would be adopted this year, Razon said: "Yes, as soon as possible so that insurgents, terrorists, criminal elements could not hide behind the cloak of anonymity."

Critics criticized the government's plan to revive the national ID scheme, saying "it has doubtful benefits with only one clear purpose which is to put dog tags on every Filipino."

Senator Francis Escudero, an opposition stalwart, said there is no need to issue a consolidated singular ID since Filipinos already possess one with a clear provision for social services in the form of the Philhealth cards.

"An ideal national ID should be a social services tool. It should be one that would entitle the holder to assistance and benefits and not as a security instrument foisted at the expense of the people's privacy," Escudero said.

Instead of embarking on a Holy Grail-like chase for a national ID, Escudero said it would do well for government to expand Philhealth. "The new ID system will only create a lucrative ID lamination industry out of yet another public document with low social acceptability because of its equally low social purpose," he said.

Another opposition senator, Loren Legarda, warned that implementing a national identification system under the guise of combating terrorism may turn the Philippines into a repressive "garrison state" with no respect for human rights.

Legarda said a national ID system will trample upon the constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy of the people, and would open the floodgates of abuses, especially in the countryside.

She stressed that those pushing for the national ID system should at the very least respect a Supreme Court (SC) decision in 1998, which declared the scheme as a "clear and present danger" to human rights.

"With a national ID system in place, anyone can be stopped by the police anywhere and anytime, while doing the most mundane things like going to work," Legarda said.

Senate not solidly against national ID plan for now (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=111156)

MANILA, Philippines -- Amid the expected protests from the militant sector, the opposition-dominated Senate appears to be divided over the revived proposal to implement a national identification system.

Opposition Senators Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Senator Panfilo Lacson expressed support for such a system on Tuesday, but for a purpose different from that of the Armed Forces, which recommended it on Monday to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a means to crush the 38-year-old communist insurgency.

In their respective bills, Pimentel and Lacson said a national ID system would facilitate a citizen’s transactions with government agencies and even private firms.

But Senators Loren Legarda and Francis Pangilinan, who are also in the opposition, said they were against the idea.

Legarda said a national ID system would trample on citizens’ right to privacy, while Pangilinan, the Senate majority leader, plainly suspected the Arroyo administration of planning to use such a system to curtail the political opposition.

Pimentel, the Senate minority leader said, “I don’t know of any country that has won the war against terrorism because of a national ID system. By all means, let us adopt an ID system, but for the purpose of facilitating legal transactions.”

Lacson, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, said doubt was cast on the proposal simply because it had come from the military and police.

“There’s a problem with the messenger. The PNP and the AFP revived [the proposal], so there is concern, suspicion, especially among the militants, that it would be used against their civil rights. If the entry point is [that the ID system would] facilitate business with government, I don’t think people would not see the wisdom [in the proposal].”

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, an administration ally, said Congress must first pass a law before Malacañang could implement a national ID scheme.

“If the military proposes a single ID system that will be compulsory for all branches of government, a law passed by Congress is necessary. A mere executive order will not suffice,” Santiago said in a statement.

Senator Francis Escudero, also of the opposition, is in favor of the proposed system but wants the government to merely expand the existing PhilHealth cards so the new IDs would not be “an added burden on Juan dela Cruz.”

Escudero said imposing a new ID on all Filipinos might just be a money-making scheme. He added that the ID system should be for social services, and not for national security.

But Legarda said: “With a national ID system in place, anyone can be stopped by the police anywhere and anytime while doing the most mundane things, like going to work. We will be living in an Orwellian world as depicted in his chilling novel ‘1984,’ which had ‘Big Brother’ watching everyone through invasive surveillance.”

Said Pangilinan: “Can we trust this government to respect the basic, constitutionally guaranteed rights of its citizens? Unfortunately, as has been ruled by no less than the Supreme Court in a string of landmark cases … this government has been found to have consistently acted in a manner contrary to the rule of law and the Constitution.”

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Department of National Defense would open consultations regarding the proposed ID system.

“I will take into account all the concerns of the different [sectors],” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in Jolo, Sulu, where he was on a visit as part of the government’s effort to touch base with the people.

Teodoro defended the proposal, saying it was natural for the military and police to find ways to fight crime and maintain peace and security.

“Proposals like this should emanate from our security forces,” he said. “It’s up to the civilian leadership to balance it out and [issue] a policy on whether or not it is feasible -- and if it is, how it is to be done.”

Teodoro said the government would “take into consideration the Constitution, relevant laws, and more importantly, the concerns of the public regarding [the proposal].”

But Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, chair of the House committee on appropriations and a staunch ally of Arroyo, said the purported pervasive fear over the Human Security Act (or the antiterror law) might increase with the implementation of a national ID system.

“Individual citizens deprived of peace of mind arising from arbitrary intrusion into their private lives and affairs cannot enjoy whatever protection from terrorism that the antiterror law may achieve,” Lagman said.

“The most effective measure to put an end to the long-running insurgency is the protection and fulfillment of the fundamental rights to food security, affordable health and medical care, decent housing, liberating quality education, gainful work and adequate living standards,” he said.

The militant party-list group Bayan Muna expectedly bristled at the AFP’s recommendation to Arroyo.

Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo, a deputy minority leader, said the Supreme Court already ruled that a national ID system was unconstitutional and violated the people’s right to privacy and freedom of movement.

“With the current sorry state of human rights and intensifying political repression, the national ID will be another weapon of the Arroyo government for assaulting and crushing all legitimate opposition,” Ocampo said.

He said Bayan Muna would “strongly oppose” legislation pushing for the establishment of a national ID.

Bayan Muna has a pending petition before the Supreme Court seeking to junk Arroyo’s Executive Order No. 420, or her administration’s version of a national ID system.

“The national ID is nothing but a tool to identify and suppress perceived enemies of the administration, and a false security blanket against crime and terrorism,” Ocampo said.

Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tañada III, chair of the House committee on human rights, said a national ID system was unnecessary:

“I don’t see the need for a national ID. Having a national ID will not solve the problem of insurgency. Eradication ... of poverty is the solution.”

But Muntinlupa Representative Rufino Rozzano Biazon, author of House Bill No. 54, or an act creating a national ID system, said a national ID was necessary and would be beneficial, “not only for peace and order purposes but also for other uses by the people. such as transactions with various offices and establishments.”

Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said in an “ambush” interview at the Palace that although he was not well-versed with the matter, an ID system could be beneficial to the economy.

He said he would support it if it would “help in [broadening the] tax base.”

Teves said a unified national ID system could help plug loopholes in tax collection.

He said that of the 85 million Filipinos today, only 3.8 million were paying taxes.

“The rule of thumb is about 10 percent of the population should pay taxes,” he pointed out.

But Communist party of the Philippines spokesperson Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal said the renewed proposal for a national ID system was part of a grand design to suppress Arroyo’s political enemies and pave the way for her stay in power beyond 2010

Lawmakers divided on national ID (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/jan/09/yehey/top_stories/20080109top2.html)

Senators and congressmen differed on the proposed national identification system.

Supporters of the proposal in the Senate are Edgardo Angara, Rodolfo Biazon, Panfilo Lacson, and Miriam Defensor Santiago. In the House of Representatives, backers of the plan are Rufino Biazon of Muntinlupa City and Monico Puentevella of Bacolod City.

Senators Joker Arroyo, Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, and Francis Pangilinan are against the proposal, and so are Rep. Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna party-list and Rep. Liza Maza of Gabriela party-list.

Angara and Lacson, however, said the proposed ID system should go beyond the counter-insurgency purpose aired by the military and the national police.

Angara said the system should be used primarily to curb red tape and facilitate the investigation and prosecution of criminal acts, as well as civil liabilities.

Lacson said the Philippines is the only country in the world without such system for fears, he added, that it would violate privacy and other constitutional rights. He said only criminals will balk at the proposal. Lacson added that the system would help improve tax collection, enhance national security, and minimize red tape. He filed three bills on the matter in three past Congresses.

Angara has filed Senate Bill 877 that seeks to implement a national ID system. His bill says the ID should contain the Primary Reference Number to be issued by the National Statistics Office to every Filipino citizen, or by the Bureau of Immigration to every foreigner who applies for an Alien Certificate of Registration. Among the uses of the ID card he sees are availment of SSS and GSIS benefits; application for driver’s license, passport, marriage license, and business permits; issuance of death certificate; application for clearances, licenses and permits from investigative and police agencies; opening of bank accounts; encashment of checks; and claiming mail matters.

Malacañang has issued Executive Order 420 that requires all agencies under the executive branch to adopt a unified, multipurpose ID system. Angara said a law is needed to implement such system.

Although supportive of the proposal, Santiago said a mere executive order to carry it out will not suffice.

Another supporter, Biazon, warned against hoping that such system would end insurgencies in 2010 because that would be “like shooting for the moon.”

His son Rufino, vice-chairman of the House Committee on National Defense and Security, agreed with Angara and Lacson that the system would help cut down red tape. His proposal for a national ID system, House Bill 54, is pending before the House Committee on Justice. He filed it in the previous Congress but never got approved.

Puentevella, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, called the proposal as a “reasonable” one that would ease the country’s security problems.

The critics of the planned national ID system cited potential threats to civil liberties.

Legarda said such system meant to supposedly combat terror would trample upon the people’s right to privacy and lead to abuses, especially in the countryside.

Noting that the government had just proposed reenactment of the repealed Anti-Subversion Law, she warned that this law and the national ID system would help create a “police state.”

Escudero said he sees no need for a national ID because Filipinos already possess one—PhilHealth card—with clear provision for social services.

Joker Arroyo predicted that the proposal will not get past Congress. “The uniformed services must think of more innovative ways to crush the communist insurgency.”

In the House, Ocampo and Maza, like Legarda, also cried “police state” in reaction to the proposed national ID system.

Senators raise concerns over AFP national ID pitch (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/75726/Senators-raise-concerns-over-AFPs-natl-ID-proposal)

Senators on Tuesday raised various concerns as they expressed their opinions on the military’s move to revive the national ID system proposal.

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Francis Pangilinan shared the sentiments of various groups that human rights violations might be committed under the cover of the proposed national ID system.

Pangilinan noted that the Arroyo administration had, in the past, consistently violated the rule of law as proven by various rulings made by the Supreme Court that opposed the implementation of the government’s “national security" measures.

"In reviving the proposal, can we trust this government to respect the basic, constitutionally guaranteed rights of its citizens?" Pangilinan asked.

"Unfortunately, as has been ruled by no less than the SC in a string of landmark cases that includes EO 464, People's Initiative, CPR, Proclamation 1017 among others, this government has been found to have consistently acted in a manner contrary to the rule of law and the Constitution. If the SC has found this government in repeated violation of the rule of law and the constitution then we view this latest proposal with grave reservations," he added.

For his part, Sen. Francis Escudero said there is no need to issue a consolidated singular ID since Filipinos already possess such an ID – and one that has a clear provision for social services – in the form of the cards from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

"An ideal national ID should be a social services tool. It should be one that would entitle the holder to assistance and benefits and not as a security instrument foisted at the expense of the people's privacy," Escudero said in a statement.

He added the PhilHealth card is already a de facto national ID as stated in Republic Act 7875, the National Health Insurance Act of 1995 which mandates the universal and compulsory coverage of Filipinos in a national health insurance system.

Escudero said Section 2 of the Act requires all citizens to enroll in the system to avoid adverse selection and social inequity. Section 8, meanwhile, entitles the bearer to a "health insurance card" to be issued by the local PhilHealth office for the purpose of identifying the members, verify eligibility and record utilization of benefits.

"The new ID system will only create a lucrative ID lamination industry out of yet another public document with low social acceptability because of its equally low social purpose," he said.

He added Malacaňang should just use the PhilHealth card as national ID to save on unnecessary expenses. A national ID system designed in the security mold, Escudero said, will be costly.

"Either, it will be given gratis, which will burn a hole in the government's pocket, or be subjected to a fee, which will invite complaints from an already overtaxed public," he said.

Escudero added periodic renewal should also be factored in as updated information should be an ID's security feature.

He said the Philhealth ID cum national ID will even earn money for the government or at best revenue neutral as people will voluntarily buy health insurance if they see value for money in it.

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago also joined the fray, saying a law is necessary in the military’s proposal to implement a national ID scheme.

“If the military proposes a single ID system that will be compulsory for all branches of government, then a law passed by Congress is necessary. A mere executive order will not suffice," Santiago said.

Santiago cited a Supreme Court ruling that a law passed by Congress is necessary if the ID system is characterized by three features:
• If it is a special appropriation;
• If it is when the ID card system is compulsory on all branches of government; and
• If it requires personal data beyond what is routinely required, such that the citizen’s right to privacy is infringed.

Lacson pushes national ID, wants Palace to back bill (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/75681/Lacson-pushes-natl-ID-system-urges-Palace-to-back-existing-bill)

Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday reiterated support for plans to implement a national identification system and urged Malacañang to certify as urgent the national ID bill he filed at the start of the 14th Congress.

In a statement, Lacson said that if President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is serious in having a no-nonsense national ID system, all she has to do is certify an existing bill that provides the needed safeguards against rights violations.

"A national ID system is a great benefit, with the proper safeguards and the right implementation. If Mrs. Arroyo is serious about having a national ID system benefit the people, she merely has to certify the bill I filed as urgent," Lacson said.

Lacson said Senate Bill 196, which he filed at the start of the 14th Congress last year, provides for a reference card system that will simplify transactions with government agencies while protecting citizens from crime and terrorism.

The senator – who had advocated such a program during his stint as Philippine National Police chief – said the national ID is one effort that deserves Filipinos' full support.

"By providing one single code to each and every citizen of the Philippines at birth and a reference card carrying their number, among other information at an age when a person may begin to actively participate in society – we not only help a person integrate himself into our society, but we also simplify any transaction that the person may have with the various agencies of government as well as with private entities," Lacson stated in his bill.

"Moreover, the (rise in) criminality and the continuing challenge of terrorism have rendered the need for a national identification system urgent. In the context of efforts to fight criminality, terrorism and lawlessness, the proposed national reference card shall help facilitate the processes of apprehension and prosecution of those who have committed violations of the law," he added.

Under Senate Bill 196, all citizens are assigned a reference number upon birth and issued a National Reference Card free of charge at age 18, in a manner prescribed by the National Registration Coordinating Commission.

The card, which shall contain security features, contains the bearer's name, address, blood type and next-of-kin. The proposed measure limits the number of persons who have access to the data on the card, which will be the only official identification of the bearer in dealing with government agencies and applying for driver's license, passport, marriage license, death certificate, and business permits.

"Failure to present the card shall not be a ground to deny him or her of basic services, but he/she will be subjected to the usual rigid identification and verification procedure," Lacson said.

On the other hand, penalties of up to six years await those who submit fake data, while a penalty of P20,000 awaits those who refuse to accept, acknowledge or recognize the card. A penalty of P50,000 awaits those involved in the unauthorized disclosure of data.

Lacson noted that other countries such as Brazil, Germany and Italy have similar ID systems.

The National ID system is not meant to infringe into the rights of the citizens. In my own opinion, it will not violate any of our rights and will just serve as an identification. There are rebels out there who pose as civilians but later on proceed with their plan of engaging in terrorist activities. In other words the national ID will serve as a security safeguard for the people. Only a persons name and physical particulars will be written. Of course the Congress has the duty to put the necessary safeguards in the bill. If the solons are afraid of violations then it's up to them to put the necessary restrictions and limitations.

pass this bill... my only qualm is that it would be conducive for identity theft crimes.. but surely, the pros outweighs the cons of a national id system..

Parang State ID siguro yan katulad dito sa US.

http://www.dmv.state.ne.us/nddl/images/Digital-License/sample-id-minor.jpg

Only those with bad intentions or hiding something would be against this ID system.


(panibagong raket na naman sa Recto ito malamang) :lol:

compulsary ba ito sa nebraska ?

hindi ko lubos maiisip na napapayag ang mga democrats sa compulsary State ID para sa lahat ng nebraskans.

^^ State IDs are required when dealing with most government agencies; they even check it when you pay by check at the supermarket, or use a credit card (if the signature line at the back of the card is blank) at the mall. It's also required at the airports when checking in for a flight. Driver's Licenses are State IDs, but for those that don't drive, a state-issued ID can be availed at the local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles).

^^ so it's not like the cops will arrest you if you fail to produce the ID if they ask for it.

^^ Nope, they won't arrest you per se, but they'll be suspicious. But it's good practice to have some form of identification on your person at all times just in case you may fall victim of mistaken identity.

^^if the phil national id system is implemented similarly, I won't have a problem with it.

kaso my understanding is that, as envisioned locally, if you fail to produce it you are a criminal unless proven otherwise. it'll be like living in a police-state.

^^ True. It has the potential to become a police-state especially if they're very strict about it and imposes hefty fines and penalties, maybe even jail time, when caught without one. But from a public safety standard and with the potential ease and convenience with dealing with government agencies, medical healthcare facilities, educational institutions, etc., it does work on some level.

you can be jailed up to 6 months if you're not showing you ID (MyKad) in Malaysia. And people did go into jail because of that.

Usually criminals and illegal immigrants are the ones who ran away from police if they dont have proper documentation.

Nothing so inconvenience with the rule. Every Malaysian bring it with them all the time, if you lost it, make a new one (with fine).

I'm all go for it. For pinas

same, para masolbahan na rin ang ss problems

yup.. I don't see any issue with having a national ID as well.. at least with these we can separate the locals from the overstaying... and we can have a record of each and everyone.. possibly this would help the census on determining our actual population as well...

They have to make this national ID very simple but fool-proof and cheap. And if they can subsidized the poor people that would be great.

The national ID system is the job of the Congress. It's implementation remains to be a proposal. For it to be implemented the Congress has to pass a law for it. If some public officials have already expressed their sentiments regarding the national ID then it is the duty of the Congress to put the necessary safeguards in the law. It's up to the Congress if they would put a provision that one will be denied some privileges if the ID is not presented. Everything about the ID, it's the Congress that will draft, debate upon, and finalize.

The ID is just a simple identification of the person.

I will add some more:

Philhealth No. (if applicable)
Pag-ibig No. (if applicable)
PRC License Info (if applicable)

I am for a National ID eversince. You can get rid of all other ID cards in your wallet na once in a blue moon mo lang naman ginagamit. Pag tinago mo naman kasi, there is a tendency na makalimutan mo kung saan mo nilagay lalo na sa mga medyo nagkaka-edad na.

These informations are nothing to hide. What’s the big fuss?

I agree. These information are already in the records of the corresponding government agencies anyway. What the national ID will do is simply integrate such information, which means more efficient delivery of government services. For instance, mas madali na lang mag-verify ng information. And of course, there is the advantage of convenience in having only one ID instead of many different IDs for different purposes.

De Castro, Gonzalez allay fears on National ID (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics2_jan11_2008)

Vice President Noli de Castro and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez are pushing for the renewed effort to establish a national identification system.

De Castro, who as a senator filed the National ID System under Senate Bill 2392, called for measures to allay the fears of some sectors especially on the infringement on the right to privacy and possible violation of human rights.

Debates on the ID plan should be encouraged—and Congress should take the lead—to ensure that all concerns are resolved and safeguards against possible abuses are put in place, De Castro said.

Gonzalez, for his part, urged Congress to initiate on the ID as an effective tool for the military to pin down the terrorists and the insurgents.

He said that the fear of many Filipinos in a national ID can be traced to the series of human rights abuses that transpired during the Martial Law years.

Fears of loss of privacy arising from the use of an ID can be allayed by putting in the safeguards, Gonzalez said.

“Let us not jump on shadows all the time,” Gonzalez said.

De Castro said he is aware that some conditions must be met for the proposal to pass the test of constitutionality i.e. if its purpose is valid, lawful and necessary and the procedure and requirements for the gathering, storage and retrieval of the information are provided for by law.

Another important safeguard that would calm the fears of skeptics is that the implementing guidelines should enumerate who will have access to the data and the rules on public disclosure of the same.

De Castro, as a senator, filed The National Unified ID System or Senate Bill 2392 which has a four-point safeguard against violation of individual rights.

These safeguards are:

• the establishment of a National Registration Coordinating Commission tasked to administer the extent and scope of transactions the ID would cover;

• the inclusion of the Commission of Human Rights as one of the members of the NRCC to ensure that no human rights violation will occur;

• the information furnished in the National Reference Card shall be used for identification purposes only;

• the guaranty that failure of an individual to present the National Reference Card upon request of proper authorities does not give rise to a presumption that such person is guilty of committing a crime and would not deny or limit him/her of the government and private services as long as he/she is qualified under the law.

The National ID could also be used as an additional document of identity when application for jobs or probably passport is processed. Hindi kasi lahat mayrong driver's license, SSS ID cards, PRC or IBP cards, etc. So if I have a national ID I would have a better proof of my identity. Mas madali din sigurong makakahingi ng mga personal documents sa registrar ng schools or sa NSO or sa mga money institutions na maarte sa paghingi ng identification card. Iba-iba kasi ang definition nila ng VALID ID. Kaya pag may national ID na wala nang kwestiyon o debate pa kung valid nga ba ito o hindi. Mas madali na ang verification processes.

It would also be easier to identify and pin down terrorists and rebels if we are all accounted for and identified. Surely we don't want terrorists around us who can wage terror anytime, anywhere.

De Castro, Gonzalez allay fears on National ID (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics2_jan11_2008)

...
De Castro, as a senator, filed The National Unified ID System or Senate Bill 2392 which has a four-point safeguard against violation of individual rights.

These safeguards are:

• the establishment of a National Registration Coordinating Commission tasked to administer the extent and scope of transactions the ID would cover;

• the inclusion of the Commission of Human Rights as one of the members of the NRCC to ensure that no human rights violation will occur;

• the information furnished in the National Reference Card shall be used for identification purposes only;

• the guaranty that failure of an individual to present the National Reference Card upon request of proper authorities does not give rise to a presumption that such person is guilty of committing a crime and would not deny or limit him/her of the government and private services as long as he/she is qualified under the law.

Exactly--the failure to present the national ID will not serve as a ground for government offices to deny government services to anyone (that would be tantamount to discrimination). Nor will it give rise to a presumption that the person failing to present the ID is guilty of committing the crime. The ID system contemplated by the administration has in fact already passed the scrutiny of the Supreme Court, which upheld its constitutionality. The claims of GMA's critics that this could be employed against them have been shown to be groundless.

ID system now in place in Sulu town (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080111-111776/ID-system-now-in-place-in-Sulu-town)

JOLO, Sulu -- As legislators and other government officials debate on the national ID system, the military has begun implementing a similar identification scheme in the southern Patikul town in a bid to stamp out terrorism.

Patikul is one of the areas identified by the military as a haven of the Abu Sayyaf and its allies from the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah. The town is also one of the areas of the province, where war games between US and Philippine soldiers were held.

The US government is implementing projects in the town of 34,396 people.

Major General Reuben Rafael, commander of the Task Force Comet, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the ID system for the people of Patikul, which was implemented in 2007, was on an experimental basis.

“We started with the data compilation July of 2007,” he said.

Rafael said the military hoped that all of Patikul’s residents will have ID cards this year.

He said the idea was conceived after a dialogue with local officials.

“And they supported the idea. We will not implement it if the people didn’t want it,” he said.

Rafael said many residents found the ID system, being implemented in coordination with the National Statistics Office (NSO), helpful in their transactions with the government, too.

“We found out that many people don’t have proper documentation and identification like birth certificates and marriage certificates (so the) people in general supported the idea,” he said.

Rafael said because the system was so effective in many ways, the provincial government is now even pushing for its province-wide implementation.

Governor Abdusakur Tan said the provincial government was finalizing a plan to implement the ID system in the province.

“An ID system will help our government organize the local communities and (it is) acceptable to the populace,” he said.

Tan said the people of Patikul found the ID system good because “we are not hiding something.”

Tan said it was better if a unified ID system was implemented nationwide.

But the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said it has always opposed the ID system being implemented in Patikul.

Jose Manuel Mamauag, CHR director for Western Mindanao, said the ID system could end up exploited by authorities.

“Discrimination and harassment, blackmailing by hoodlums in uniform, political vendetta by local officials and warlords,” Mamauag said, listing what he said were the possible abuses of the ID system.

He said the Armed Forces in Sulu was making life more difficult for the people in the area.

But Rafael said the military will make sure the ID system will not be exploited.

He also vowed to stop its implementation if the people of Patikul speak against it.

“If the people don’t like ID we will stop. It may be viewed by others as a violator of human rights, but this has made them feel a sense of identity…people wanted to have a sense of identity,” he said.

Tan also said the ID system did not violate the rights of the people but even helped them be identified as Filipinos.

“It’s actually offering the people convenience in all aspects, including proper delivery of basic services,” he said.

He said if people have IDs, they could demand basic services because they have proofs -- their IDs -- that they are Filipino citizens entitled to these services.

Do we need a national ID system? (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/jan/27/yehey/opinion/20080127opi6.html)

Yes, to improve public service
By Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson

While much has been said about the security aspects of having a national ID system, many tend to overlook the greater benefits and simple conveniences that it holds for the ordinary Filipino.

More than doing away with a bulky wallet, not filled with cash but which plastic identification cards, Filipinos may yet further see the elimination of bureaucratic “red tape” and experience fewer “downtime” in transactions involving their individuality.

How many Filipinos, especially overseas workers, have been held and hassled in our airports for having namesakes with criminal records? How many of us have been asked to produce two or three IDs for simple transactions such as opening a bank account or claiming remittances from abroad? How many people have you seen groping for the IDs in their bulky wallets while filling up forms that require their tax identification number, their Social Security Service number, their Philhealth number, and so forth and so on?

My bill to establish a National Reference Card System was crafted with expediency of transactions in mind. To make the Philippines at par with how citizens from developed countries—with their own national ID systems such as the United States and Singapore—go about with personal transactions.

The security facet is inalienable from this proposal since its essence is derived precisely at protecting an individual’s identity in this age of advanced digital technology.

It is a positive step. It is not a great leap towards the future of our country and those who oppose it are being overwhelmed by their crab mentality to protect their own or their affiliation’s agenda.

It is unfortunate that the government has tapped the military and police as messengers of this supposed change which explains the vehement howl against this important ‘upgrade’ for our society.

But in the hands of a sensible and good administration, I am more than certain this proposed measure’s advantages would surpass the expectations of naysayers and majority of our countrymen.

No, it is a threat to privacy
By Sen. Francis Pangilinan

A national identification system that produces a universal ID card presents a multitude of potential problems. As a start, almost any identification card can be copied or counterfeited. A fake national ID card would pose more danger than any sectoral card issued by the government. We have to ask the following questions:

How would the government ensure that documents submitted to obtain an ID card are not counterfeit or fake?

How much would it cost to build and maintain an ID system?

Who has access to the central database? Can the government protect confidential information against misuse, particularly by law enforcers? Congress, if we are talking of a national ID system, should specify the individuals or agencies authorized to access the data, and for what purpose. Unrestricted access could lead to abuse and violate the right to privacy.

The citizens should have the right to control the information fed into the system to avoid unauthorized use and to ensure that only correct data is used. A wrong piece of information could be very damaging.

In reality, a national ID card will not thwart terrorist attacks or insurgencies because criminals, terrorists or insurgents could purchase fraudulent documents, such as birth certificates.

Most people also fear that the cards would permit authorities to monitor their movement and activities.

Accordingly, in the case of Kilusang Mayo Uno v. Neda Director General, the Supreme Court ruled that the President could merely authorize a uniform ID data collection and ID format by executive order, because she has power only over the executive branch.

A law passed by Congress is necessary if the ID system being proposed is characterized by three features. The first is a special appropriation. The second is when the ID card system is compulsory for all branches of government and for all Filipino citizens. The third feature is when the ID card system requires personal data beyond what is routinely required, such that the citizen’s right to privacy is infringed.

Solon pushes probe of Sulu ID system
(http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080201-116227/Solon-pushes-probe-of-Sulu-ID-system)
By Ed General, Julie Alipala
Mindanao Bureau
First Posted 18:11:00 02/01/2008

JOLO, Sulu, Philippines -- A legislator said he would bring to Congress his opposition to the ID system being enforced in a Sulu town because it was illegal.

Representative Munir Arbison of Sulu’s second district said the ID system has to be investigated.

Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan said the ID system, which will soon be implemented in the whole province, would help in the fight against terrorism aside from helping in the delivery of government services.

But Arbison said there was no basis for the adoption of an ID system in Patikul, much more in the entire province.

He said the Sangguniang Bayan of Patikul never passed any resolution approving the ID system. “The provincial board has no resolution too for the implementation of the ID system in the province,” he said.

He said he would file a resolution at the House of Representatives on Monday to call for an investigation.

Arbison said the Supreme Court has ruled against a similar move proposed by the national government. “We should behave according to and abide by the law,” he said.

Some residents of Patikul, led by former mayor Esmond Suhuri, said there was no consultation made before the ID system was launched.

Suhuri said the ID system has a chilling effect on people who fail to acquire the ID cards because they would be automatically branded terror suspects.

“The ID system is degrading. If you don’t have it, you’re automatically a suspect,” he said.

He said he wanted to oppose the ID system when it was still being proposed but he did not want to be perceived as politicking.

“They might say I was being noisy because I lost in the elections. But after hearing many complaints about it, I decided to talk,” Suhuri said.

He said the ID system has nothing to do with the delivery of basic services but was really conceived as part of the military’s plan against the Abu Sayyaf and other armed groups.

“There are many ways to fight lawlessness and curtailing people’s rights is not among them,” he said.

Victor Taylor, a peace advocate based here, said the provincial government should be transparent on the intention of the ID system.

“If it is presented and explained to the populace and if the people agree it is helpful and needed, then I see no problem with it,” he said.

nyaaa.... National ID system is good and you pinoys in the philippines should have one! Its good for the economy and for every safety of the filipino citizens. Ill tell you why.

Because:
1. To help the government to identify all the filipino beneficiaries of its services.
2. To help identify and verify every filipino citizens or residents and their current personal status (criminal records, dental records, sex, marital status, principal address, etc.).
3. To help the government to track down the addresses and known associates of all the criminals operating in the philippines, and that includes all the rebels, illigal aliens/immigrants, corrupt filipinos, and terrorrists.
4. To help the government to collect taxes w/ accuracy and apprehend the tax evaders.
5. To protect the government and its citizens from various fraud, impersonation, and other malicious use of various versions of existing ID cards.


These are the minimum data requirements that should be included inside the ID card personal profile w/ embedded microchip:

(1) The person's full legal name.

(2) The person's date of birth.

(3) The person's gender.

(4) The person's driver's license or identification card number.

(5) A digital photograph of the person.

(6) The person's address of principle residence.

(7) The person's signature.

(8) Physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for fraudulent purposes.

(9) A common machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements.




ID system to help identify beneficiaries of gov't services -Fernando
MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2008 | GOV'T SERVICES


MANILA (PNA) -- Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando said the proposed National Identification (ID) system would primarily help the government identify the real and deserving beneficiaries of its assistance and services, particularly the poor.

Speaking before the Liga ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas at the Usapang Daungan held at the Danarra Hotel in Quezon City, Fernando said this is in contrary to public apprehensions that the proposed ID system would be limited to boosting the security operations of the military.

He said the poor would greatly benefit from the mechanism because it will help the government identify who among the 85 million Filipinos are deserving of basic assistance and services such as food, medicines, housing and shelter, and even relocation sites for bonafide informal settlers, among other things.

“All the talks that the ID system would help the government only against terrorism are only secondary, what is more important here is that our bigger population of poor Filipinos stand to gain the bigger stake and share in the benefits of our country’s growth through an efficient identification system,” Fernando said.

“Kung may National ID system yung libreng bigas o anumang tulong ay mabibigay sa mga tunay na mahihirap upang maibsan ang kahirapan, sa kawalan ng ID ang mga malalakas ang loob at mapagsamantala ang nakikinabang (If we have National ID system, only legitimate beneficiaries of the government's assistance will get them. Because there is no ID system, only the shameless and the opportunists benefit)," the MMDA chairman said.

Fernado said the Metro Manila Inter-Agency Committee on Relocation of Informal Settlers, which he is concurrently the chairperson, has been earnestly conducting strategic studies on how to solve the squatting problem, but the body is having a hard time to come up with an accurate listing of who are really deserving of relocation assistance.

“We are having a difficult time to distinguish who the bona fide families and who the opportunists and professional squatters are, and I lamented that more often than not the committee has been helping the wrong people,” he said.

Fernando said the benefits of the proposed ID system far outweigh than what the public perceive it to be.

He said with a good ID system backed by computerization and modern technology, these will surely propel the country to progress.

Fernando proposed that an intensified information campaign must be conducted nationwide on the benefits and not the perceived evil of the proposed ID system so that the public will be properly educated.

Moreover, he said, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), along with other concerned government agencies, is the most competent government agency to tackle an in-depth review of the whole national ID system concept and implement it.

Fernando said the bureau has the most extensive files and has put in place the best state-of-the-art systems in identifying each and every Filipino.
(PNA)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You know the only people who scream the loudest about such concerns as violation of human rights, invasion of privacy, and secrecy laws are those people who have plenty of reasons to be insecured, afraid, feel threatened or be paranoid. If one’s character and integrity are virgin white, then there are no worries. This card does not only make the lives of the government simple, it also makes our lives extremely orderly. And the most countries that have a similar ID system inplaced are enjoying some higher standards of living in the world, but also have the least corrupt governments such as the most european governments specially the scandanavian countries, and some of our asian neighbors (malaysia, singapore, thailand, vietnam). "

BTW, there is no ID system yet in north america and UK.

Here in canada and US though are seriously talking about implementing this system to protect us from various fraud and misuse of our existing ID cards such as the canadian SIN (Social Insurance Number), and the american SSN (Social Security Number). Likewise, there are oppositions.

:cheers:

i guess once this system is fully implemented
one cannot transact with gov't institutions
unless he has the proper ID :)

The Congress has to put the necessary provisions for the implementation of this National ID. It would only be futile to speculate since it's the Congressmen and Senators who would be deciding on the content of the law anyway. Since many opposition and leftist solons have expressed disagreement in the revival of the bill on the national ID it would be their chance to put the precautions in the bill so as not to make it prone to abuses by public officers.

^^ yeah.
concerned constituents better ask for an audience with their tongressman (sic) and air their apprehensions :)
'cause when the law gets passed, it would not be easy to seek amendments :)

OT: Will this be the "666" prophecy in the Book of Revelation, according to the christians? Hmm sounds scary...

^^ :nono: Let us not bring religion into this. Not everything has a doomsday ending to it. :ohno:

^^hahaha... that's still funny though. wahahahaha... :lol:

^^ :nono: Let us not bring religion into this. Not everything has a doomsday ending to it. :ohno:

I know i know, that's why i said OT (off topic).

Its really funny though.... hehehehe :lol:

Kailanga na po natin to: Philippines is in the path of mature democracy but yet we are the least pre mature in terms of ''national security''

Speaking of ID cards, doesn't The Philippines now have the machine-readable passports. Also I heard the country is gonna have the biometric ones.

^^ yes, the new passports are machine readable...

^^ yes, the new passports are machine readable...

Its good cause the Philippines will be way behind if the country still issues the hand written passport.

The next step is biometric, the one with a computer chip

I heard na nagkakaproblema daw ung bagong Philippine passport kapag mag aapply ka ng visa sa ibang bansa dahil daw walang pirma? Walang pirma? Bakit ganun? Well di pa rin ako nakakakita ng bagong Phil passport na machine readable....

^ my machine readable passport has a signature of mine.

OnT: dapat magkaron tayo ng national id policy. it will make our country more secured. plus the goverment could bring it a level higher by having eliminationg those government cards such as sss, gsis, drving license etc and form it to one --> national id

^^i totally agree with this idea:okay: "a one nation with one identification"

umaayaw lang naman sa panukalang ito ay ang mga kriminal ng bayan at mga politikong protector nito.

kung patuloy nilang igigiit/ ippilit na labag ito sa batas at privacy nila...e wala talagang mangyayari sa ating lahat. hindi naman ito ATM machine na lahat halos ng bank account mo e nakalagay. wala naman siguro itong recording capability para i-record ang mga sinasabi mo. hindi din naman siguro ito pwedeng gamitin para i-trace yung current location mo but of course matatrace yung current location kung saan ka nakatira - that is kung pinaghahanap ka ng mga authority.

^^ yeah. and what's the point of contradicting this? parati na lang ba kailangang kontrahin nila? our situation is quite different from malaysia's since multi-ethnical sila at may high risk na maraming illegal immigrants na kamukha ng either malay, chinese, or indian which would obviously increase national threat kaya meron talaga silang MyKard. it would be a heck relief for our government institutions dahil sa 1 card lang andun na mga info at pwedeng ilagay pa ang TIN, SSS, or any other whatnot.

imo, it's not intruding privacy.

^^i totally agree with this idea:okay: "a one nation with one identification"

umaayaw lang naman sa panukalang ito ay ang mga kriminal ng bayan at mga politikong protector nito.

kung patuloy nilang igigiit/ ippilit na labag ito sa batas at privacy nila...e wala talagang mangyayari sa ating lahat. hindi naman ito ATM machine na lahat halos ng bank account mo e nakalagay. wala naman siguro itong recording capability para i-record ang mga sinasabi mo. hindi din naman siguro ito pwedeng gamitin para i-trace yung current location mo but of course matatrace yung current location kung saan ka nakatira - that is kung pinaghahanap ka ng mga authority.

This is really important in one country to have an identification ID for their citizen.

It is not breach of privacy of the citizen because us here a democratic country has our own identification id.

This ID system will also resolve the problem of old people who does not have any identification to apply or to transact with the government.

Why this Politicians opposing this ID system? The answer is so simple because they cannot cheat on the election. As you are aware of, that some of the dead people are still in the voting list.

I think this ID system is necessary at least to provided one valid ID.

As per my observation in the Phil. When you apply for something or to prove your identity it is always post to present so many type of id.

Hope that this will be implement soon.

Ok yan isang I.D. lahatan na, para hindi patong patong gastos mo para lang kumuha ng sangkatutak na iba ibang I.D. The French have their National I.D. as well kaya nga around Europe me mga Europeans na ang gamit lang kapag nagtatravel around European Zone ay National I.D. ( siyempre outside Europe kelangan parin nila ng valid Passport )

^^ Agree. We have so many IDs. Voter's ID (which by the way, has been in the works for around 10 years and there are still those who hasn't been given theirs!), SSS, BIR, GSIS, etc. How often do you use these for its direct purpose? You don't need all these! And each one has a cost, and it certainly is passed on to you. You only need the following: a passport, a driver's license, and a NATIONAL ID.

What's the status of this?

I agree also on this National ID system. Pero mukhang mahihirapan tayong ipa implement ito nationwide, may kalakihan ang budget na kelangan dito.

In a way, yes makaka-apekto ito sa privacy ng isang citizen kasi using this unified ID, madali nang ma-track ang record ng isang citizen esp pag involved sa crime.

In Singapore, they also have the National ID system. Different ID colors sa iba't ibang residential status. Like PINK Card sa National Citizen and BLUE Card sa Permanent Resident. Sobrang convenient gamitin ng card na ito sa lahat ng transactions. Pero hindi sa Phone card at ATM ha? hehehe!

Nakarinig na din ako ng ganito...

Malamang, di sasang ayon iba't ibang Religious Groups dito.

OT: Will this be the "666" prophecy in the Book of Revelation, according to the christians? Hmm sounds scary...

What's the status of this?

I agree also on this National ID system. Pero mukhang mahihirapan tayong ipa implement ito nationwide, may kalakihan ang budget na kelangan dito.

In a way, yes makaka-apekto ito sa privacy ng isang citizen kasi using this unified ID, madali nang ma-track ang record ng isang citizen esp pag involved sa crime.

In Singapore, they also have the National ID system. Different ID colors sa iba't ibang residential status. Like PINK Card sa National Citizen and BLUE Card sa Permanent Resident. Sobrang convenient gamitin ng card na ito sa lahat ng transactions. Pero hindi sa Phone card at ATM ha? hehehe!

the national id system is a good idea because its been used my most advanced nations in the world. but my concern is for those people with no proper addressess like those houses with no postal numbers. maybe in the highly urbanize centers in the philippines, this can be implemented right away and must be handled by a govenment agency that is not corrupt because whats on the ID are highly sensitive information. our banking system would qualify for this as a safe haven for personal information but city or provincial governments handlling these matter , hmm i dont know if nobody is goin to leak, copy or sell your information to others.

dont even mention the customs, post office, or bir because there's so many crooks lurking in those agencies pretending to be good citizens clad in barong or coat and tie.

I dont trust the philippine Government, ang Mali nagagawang tama ang Tama kaya nilang gawing mali.parang Euro Generals mali na itatama pa pag human rights Tama, imamali nila.
theyre not trust worthy to give details who we are baka gawing terorist ako ng gobyerno pag may nagawa akong mali sa kanila.

SSS to issue multi-purpose smart card (http://www.bworldonline.com/BW041809/content.php?id=075)

Filipinos will soon find it easier to transact with various government agencies when the Social Security System (SSS) starts rolling out the Unified Multipurpose Identification (UMID) card system by the end of the year.

Romulo L. Neri, SSS president and chief executive officer, said the state pension fund will start issuing the UMID cards by September or October if bidding for suppliers will be completed next month.

Executive Order (EO) 420 issued in 2005 has mandated all government agencies to adopt the UMID. The move was aimed at saving costs on part of the government and the public as this removes the need to produce multiple ID cards as well as maintain redundant databases.

Later on, the government issued EO 700 which directed the SSS to lead the project given its efficient ID system. SSS’ ID system, called Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), ensures that every prospective cardholder will get only one ID.

But while the SSS was ordered to pilot the project, Mr. Neri said the task of operating and maintaining the UMID system will eventually be transferred to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

"Eventually the SSS will be out of it. We do not want to be [involved with the operations of the UMID system] for long," Mr. Neri told a briefing yesterday.

When implemented, the card can be used when transacting with the SSS, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), NSO, and the Pag-IBIG Fund.

Other government agencies may eventually ride on the system, as the cards can be turned into driver’s licenses, the Philippine Postal Corp.’s postal ID or the Commission on Election’s voter’s ID.

The smart card which will bear a microchip with a 36-kilobyte memory will also have a magnetic stripe, enabling banks to turn the IDs into automated teller machine (ATM) cards if they desire to do so.

Mr. Neri also clarified that the UMID differs from the proposed national ID system such that the former is not required for every Filipino.

He cited a petition filed by Kilusang Mayo Uno and Bayan Muna party-list group sometime in 2005, saying the unified ID system would violate human rights.

But Mr. Neri said: "The UMID is not a system that will tend to control every Filipino. It is meant to be a service card."

Mr. Neri said SSS members may still use their cards, and they may opt to avail of the new IDs once the system is already in place. He said there are currently 11 million cards held by SSS members.

^^finally!

Photo requirement guidelines for new MRP (http://www.asianjournal.com/dateline-usa/15-dateline-usa/1812-photo-requirement-guidelines-for-new-mrp.html)

A "Mona Lisa" smile is strongly suggested for Filipinos who will have their pictures taken for their passport applications.

Unacceptable photos may be rejected, causing applications for machine-readable passports (MRPs) to be delayed.

"When having their photos taken, applicants may smile. The "Mona Lisa" smile is recommended," the Philippine Consulate General Los Angeles (PCG LA) said in its website.

It further said in its guidelines that an applicant may show teeth and gums but the smile "should not distort his or her features in the photo."

For its part, the Philippine Consulate General New York (PCG New York) also reminded passport applicants to show a "medium smile" in their pictures. Photos can be rejected if the image is distorted where "the head is tilted or the smile is too wide," it said in an earlier press statement.

Smiling is only one of a stringent set of rules on photograph submissions that both consular offices are imposing on MRP applicants.

Other photographs that could be denied are those where women are wearing excessive make-up and/or large earrings, as well as those where men are wearing make-up and/or earrings.

Applicants wearing dark eyeglasses or colored contact lenses in photos will not be accepted. Dirty, damaged, or digitally-altered pictures are also unacceptable.

"The photograph of the passport holder is important because it verifies the identity of the holder," the Passport Division of the Philippine Office of Consular Affairs said in its guideline.

Other photo requirements include: royal blue background, frontal shot, and wearing of collared shirt or any decent attire. Passport applicants also need to make sure that both ears can be seen in the photographs that they will submit.

To make compliance easier for Filipinos in New York, the Philippine Consulate in the city has discussed its strict requirements with several photo studios in the area.

PCG New York Vice Consul Elena Maningat said their office has provided the blue photo background to these studios. She added the studios agreed to re-take photographs that may be rejected at no additional cost to the applicant.

"This way, we are assured that the photos are up to the standard needed for the MRP," she told the Asian Journal.

Vice Consul Maningat said the personal appearance requirement that the PCG imposes for MRP applicants works out well because they can refer these applicants to photo studios nearby.

MRPs are the new travel document issued by the Philippine government as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The ICAO is an agency of the United Nations that fosters the planning and development of air transport. It has required all its member states, including the Philippines, to issue MRPs before April 1st 2010.

The maroon-colored travel document is tamper-proof and is expected to make traveling faster and more convenient.

While unexpired green Philippine passports may still be used after April 2010, most countries will require travelers to hold an MRP for their travel. Green passport-holders may be asked to form a separate line for their information to be encoded, making the process slower.

The new maroon-colored MRP has a "machine readable zone" containing the personal data of the passport holder that can be read by a machine or computer.

"This eases entry because the immigration officer no longer needs to encode the information manually. This eases exiting (a country) for the same reason," Vice Consul General Maningat said.

The MRP’s superior security features compared to the green passports is also expected to eliminate the possibility of identity theft and acts of fraud.

The Philippine government has started issuing MRPs last year. Filipinos residing in the United States need to apply in person at the consular office that is nearest their place of residence.

Philippine consular offices in the United States hold monthly or bi-monthly consular outreach programs that make passport application more convenient since applicants not have to travel far to apply for passports.

PCG New York will hold outreach programs in Massachusetts on May 9 and in Rochester, New York on May 16. This consular office has jurisdiction over Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

PCG LA, which covers Southern Nevada, Southern California, Texas and Arizona, will hold consular outreach programs in Panorama City, California on May 16th and in Las Vegas, NV on May 23rd and 24th.

Complete schedule of the consular outreach programs of these two offices, as well as other Philippine consulates, can be seen in their respective websites.

Anong Human rights ba ang ma vilate ng unified ID system? Eh kung totousin lahat ng governemnt agency at saka private company eh my record ng isang filipino.
Sabihin na natin na mag vilate ito ng human rights so dapat pala pag nag apply tayo ng passport hindi natin lagyan ng ating personal info.

Patawa talaga itong mga pulitiko sa pinas. kung ano ano na lang nasaisp nila.

Bakit ang Japan, US, Canada, Europe my mga Isang ID system lang. Anong part ng Human rights ba yun?

^^ Actually, the U.S. does not have a national ID system.

^^ Technically, there is a national ID system here in the US. It's called your Social Security Number (SSN). But with regards to driver's licenses, yes, the US doesn't have a national system for that because each state handles the issuance of IDs/DLs to their own residents.

^^ My SSN as a national ID number is perhaps as good as a community tax certificate/cedula in the Philippines: valid for some uses, but invalid for others. But at least we have better Social Security cards here. :okay:

^^ Better Social Security System and the now strict State ID/DL management.

except in LA, where you can buy them in the streets.... :lol:

at least, all of these ids that we presently have make our wallets fat and filled up. without them, no need for wallets na, kasi la naman pera din.:bash::lol:

BTW, im all in favor of a single unified ID kahit maging mnaipis na wallet ko.

Anong Human rights ba ang ma vilate ng unified ID system? Eh kung totousin lahat ng governemnt agency at saka private company eh my record ng isang filipino.
Sabihin na natin na mag vilate ito ng human rights so dapat pala pag nag apply tayo ng passport hindi natin lagyan ng ating personal info.

Patawa talaga itong mga pulitiko sa pinas. kung ano ano na lang nasaisp nila.

Bakit ang Japan, US, Canada, Europe my mga Isang ID system lang. Anong part ng Human rights ba yun?

No Human Rights Violates, Leftist is just plain paranoid.

at least, all of these ids that we presently have make our wallets fat and filled up. without them, no need for wallets na, kasi la naman pera din.:bash::lol:

BTW, im all in favor of a single unified ID kahit maging mnaipis na wallet ko.

hehehehe, plus the fact na kapag nawala mo wallet mo isang ID lang kailangan mong palitan unlike kung marami yan. Nandyan ang SSS/GSIS, Driver's License, TIN, PRC kapag meron ka. simple ang buhay iisang number ang hawak mo.

by the way, if your old PHil. passport ( the green one) has a multiple entry US visa for 10 years, would it (visa) remain valid even if you replaced the passport with the new ones? hanggang 2010 na lang daw yata validity ng old passports and you have to replaced it with the machine readable ones.

by the way, if your old PHil. passport ( the green one) has a multiple entry US visa for 10 years, would it (visa) remain valid even if you replaced the passport with the new ones? hanggang 2010 na lang daw yata validity ng old passports and you have to replaced it with the machine readable ones.

Not true. There was an announcement made by DFA 2 or 3 months ago(I read in philstar) that the Memo Circulating about the non-acceptance of non-machine readable by 2010 was a hoax. If you hold a green passport and the expiry is beyond 2010, it will still be accepted.

@rally: If you already have a visa issued by the embassy/consulate, you're already documented in the system. The INS (US Immigration and Naturalization Service) can still track you even if you have a new passport.

^^ actually i have. been there twice already. thanks for the info @kiretoce.:)

Not true. There was an announcement made by DFA 2 or 3 months ago(I read in philstar) that the Memo Circulating about the non-acceptance of non-machine readable by 2010 was a hoax. If you hold a green passport and the expiry is beyond 2010, it will still be accepted.

ah ok. thats a relief. thanks flash.:)

^^ Actually, the U.S. does not have a national ID system.

:)but they have STATE ID,that's why every STATE have there own state ID OR license. same here in FLORIDA.. THE SUNSHINE STATE:)

^^ I have my Pennsylvania state ID even if I don't live in the state full-time. A national ID system, however, will work miracles. :okay:

:)but they have STATE ID,that's why every STATE have there own state ID OR license. same here in FLORIDA.. THE SUNSHINE STATE:)

The reason why there are state-issued IDs here in the US is because the federal government doesn't interfere with state matters and how it governs over their residents. When you think about it, all the 50 states are like their own "independent" nations in of itself and are semi-autonomous from the federal level. But in the case of the Philippines, I believe a nationwide uniformed ID card that integrates and consolidates all the government and other pertinent information gathering agencies under one umbrella system. Imagine if every province will issue their own version of identification, that's more than 80 different kinds of cards! Chaos and condusion, not to mention the accessbility to fraud and identity theft will ensue.

Not true. There was an announcement made by DFA 2 or 3 months ago(I read in philstar) that the Memo Circulating about the non-acceptance of non-machine readable by 2010 was a hoax. If you hold a green passport and the expiry is beyond 2010, it will still be accepted.


yeah....i had read that memo (w/c was hoax), as a result, i got a new passport eventhough my green one is still valid.

yeah....i had read that memo (w/c was hoax), as a result, i got a new passport eventhough my green one is still valid.

Me too, fortunately I read it before going through the pain of renewing my passport and transferring my visa. I almost skip my SEA trip during my holiday in the Philippines last feb because of time constraint of transferring my visa to the new passport. hehehehe

National/State ID cards is a beautiful system to implement if the main objective is additional security with the beneficial side effects of convenience to people who relies on the system to run their lives.

However, what most people are afraid from implementation of this system is the ability of people in power to use and manipulate personal information that could worsen the existing prejudice and human rights abuses.

In the case of the Philippines with a dismal record for human rights abuses without the national ID, expect more of it to come once its implemented.

A complete overhaul of the system without interference from existing political parties is a better choice (given that such alternative is possible) than national ID.

1. one criminal if he / she goes to hide in mindanao, the other side of the philippines, it will be difficult for the police to trace him because theres no national id.
2. one foreigner example a indonisian or malaysian(they look like a filipino) wanted in their own country wants to hide in the philippines, all he have to do is learn the local language and eureka he is now a filipino.
3. one filipino who is now not a filipino because she imigrated already to a western country can pretend and join anti government movement even its not allowed in our laws for foreigners to join these movements.
4. etc etc... i think only philippines the only country in asia without a national ID.:bash:

GMA becomes the first e-passport holder in the Philippines. Ang sarap talaga pag Presidente ka, super mega expedite ang processing :D

DFA launches ePassport (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=495299&publicationSubCategoryId=68)
By Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star) Updated August 12, 2009 12:00 AM

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8301/19868857.jpg
President Arroyo gets her photo taken and fingerprints scanned to become the first recipient of the ePassport during the launching ceremonies coinciding with the 111th founding anniversary of the DFA yesterday. WILLY PEREZ

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) launched yesterday the Philippine “ePassport” with enhanced security features that will also facilitate and hasten the entry formalities of Filipino travelers to other countries.

President Arroyo was the first recipient of the ePassport presented by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo during the launching ceremonies coinciding with the DFA’s 111th founding anniversary.

The President’s ePassport bears the serial number EA0000001. To illustrate its features, Mrs. Arroyo scanned her ePassport on the passport reader that revealed her biometric information, digital signature and photograph.

A joint project of the DFA and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the ePassport makes the Philippines compliant with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), officials said.

Filipino travelers and migrant workers would benefit from the globally compliant ePassport currently being used in over 60 countries.

The ePassport’s security features have been enhanced with a hidden encoded image, an ultra-thin, holographic laminate; and a tamper-proof electronic microchip.

Its integrated circuit chip stores the passport holder’s photograph and other personal data for easy verification of identity and is fully inter-operable.

This means border control officials in other countries using a passport chip reader could read the chip.

The ePassport would facilitate and hasten the entry formalities of migrant workers and Filipinos residing in other countries and travelers, aside from denying opportunities for passport fraud and tampering.

Despite its advanced security features, the ePassport would be available for P950 only, making it one of the cheapest in the world.

Filipino passport applicants may still choose between the ePassport and the machine-readable passport (MRP) currently priced at P500.

The ePassport project is part of the DFA’s passport modernization program that started in 2007 with the launch of the machine-readable passport. To date, about four million MRPs have been issued.

Initially, application for the ePassport would be on appointment basis. Full implementation of the project will take place in the next three months.

DFA Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Domingo Lucenario Jr. said passport applicants could choose an ePassport or an MRP.

He said the international community would still recognize the old green passports and the MRPs as valid until their expiration date.

“The Philippines requested the international community to honor the green passports and MRPs until the expiration date of these passports,” Lucenario said.

He added the MRP also met the minimum requirements set by the ICAO.

“When we talk about ePassport it’s extremely difficult to tamper because of additional features. We’ll detect multiple application and we’ll have more efficient passport processing,” he said.

The ICAO has urged governments until April 2010 to start issuing ePassports.

“This is now a global standard. Many countries are going to that direction. More than 60 countries now have ePassports,” Lucenario said.

Lucenario added the Philippine passport at the price of P500 has not increased for the past 12 years.

The BSP had an agreement with the DFA to directly contract a private company to undertake the ePassport project.

In a public bidding conducted by the BSP in 2007, French firm Oberthur Technologies emerged as winner, besting 14 companies.

The BSP awarded the ePassport project to Oberthur that was also responsible for issuing the first ICAO-compliant ePassport in Belgium. Oberthur also provided the electronic component of the first ICAO-compliant ePassport in Thailand.

Oberthur would also provide the DFA with an end-to-end solution to its passport application, processing, issuance processes, database systems management and security management.

Oberthur gave assurance that the chip in the ePassport is certified by ICAO and the signature of the passport holder is contained in the chip that will appear on the personal data page.

So this is the Philippine bio-metric passport

^^ Yes, that is the Philippine biometric passport. I hope by this time, they were able to fix some of the more minor aesthetics of the passport (like how they should not have put the signature field under the general reminders for passport holders).

^^ Yes, that is the Philippine biometric passport. I hope by this time, they were able to fix some of the more minor aesthetics of the passport (like how they should not have put the signature field under the general reminders for passport holders).

Its a small step to infrastructure :)

^^ Did I mention that the signature field is located at the back of the passport? ;)

i think it was stupid for the DFA to just release this now.... after they have announced that all should change to the Machine readable passport then they change to a new format...

If I'd know, I would not have changed my passport to the red passport 2 months ago and save the cost of getting that type...

i think it was stupid for the DFA to just release this now.... after they have announced that all should change to the Machine readable passport then they change to a new format...

If I'd know, I would not have changed my passport to the red passport 2 months ago and save the cost of getting that type...

Buti nalang di ako nakakuha ng machine readable last time kong umuwi ng pinas.

i think it was stupid for the DFA to just release this now.... after they have announced that all should change to the Machine readable passport then they change to a new format...

If I'd know, I would not have changed my passport to the red passport 2 months ago and save the cost of getting that type...

Yes it was fast for them to issue bio-metric but the advantages is The Philippines is up to date.

The country needs it. They were the last major ASEAN country to issue the machine readable passport. The green one is prone to fakes.

yeah i agree.. though they should have informed the people that there will be the biometric version of the passport coming out instead of making people change to the red one... I agree that the green passport be put to rest...

imagine if you had converted your green passport last week and you see in the news this week about the new passport... you probably may not be able to upgrade it that quickly due to cost....

yeah i agree.. though they should have informed the people that there will be the biometric version of the passport coming out instead of making people change to the red one... I agree that the green passport be put to rest...

imagine if you had converted your green passport last week and you see in the news this week about the new passport... you probably may not be able to upgrade it that quickly due to cost....

Just curious, is the bio-metric one maroon coloured?

Just curious, is the bio-metric one maroon coloured?

Yes, the MRP and the e-passport looks just the same and both are maroon colored. The only difference is the e-passport has a small symbol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometric_passports) on the bottom of the front cover which connotes that it is an e-passport, which looks like the image below:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/EPassport_logo.svg/105px-EPassport_logo.svg.png

Yes, the MRP and the e-passport looks just the same and both are maroon colored. The only difference is the e-passport has a small symbol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometric_passports) on the bottom of the front cover which connotes that it is an e-passport, which looks like the image below:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/EPassport_logo.svg/105px-EPassport_logo.svg.png

It's actually a chip

It's actually a chip

its not.

http://i25.tinypic.com/2i7692f.jpg

E-passport spares OFWs from embarrassment (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/172100/e-passport-spares-ofws-from-embarrassment-says-dfa)

An e-passport is a passport which features microchip technology. An integrated circuit (chip) within its pages contains the data that are essential in verifying the identity of the passport holder. These data include the personal data found on the data page of the passport, the biometrics of the passport holder, the unique chip identification number, and a digital signature to verify the authenticity of the data stored on the chip.

Aside from being high-tech, the new electronic passport or e-passport will spare overseas Filipino workers (OFW) from being embarrassed in other countries, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

“The embarrassment that our Filipino workers experience is no longer there (with the e-passport)," said DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo told reporters in a press conference held in Manila on Friday.

As of now, Filipinos are either using manually scripted passports (green or brown) or machine-readable passports (MRP).

But the DFA said the e-passport is more advanced than the two because it has a 64-kilobyte microchip where the security features and personal data of the holder are stored – a measure meant to combat fraud and tampering of the travel document.

Using it, Romulo said OFWs can just pass through the immigration of the host country without any problem – unlike previous instances when many of them are held there for a long time.

“You are waved through with hardly any questions asked, kumbaga, balewala (in other words, no hassle)," he said, adding that if the Filipino is asked anything, it would just be how long he or she will be staying the country.

According to Romulo, the Philippines is one of the 62 “progressive countries" issuing e-passports to its citizens.

The DFA said it will be releasing an initial two to four million e-passports which can be availed within three to four days for P950 each. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the first Filipino to receive an e-passport with code EA000001.

But it clarified that machine-readable passports will remain valid until their expiration date. On the other hand, manually scripted passports will no longer be recognized starting April 10, 2010.

E-passport spares OFWs from embarrassment (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/172100/e-passport-spares-ofws-from-embarrassment-says-dfa)

An e-passport is a passport which features microchip technology. An integrated circuit (chip) within its pages contains the data that are essential in verifying the identity of the passport holder. These data include the personal data found on the data page of the passport, the biometrics of the passport holder, the unique chip identification number, and a digital signature to verify the authenticity of the data stored on the chip.

Aside from being high-tech, the new electronic passport or e-passport will spare overseas Filipino workers (OFW) from being embarrassed in other countries, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

“The embarrassment that our Filipino workers experience is no longer there (with the e-passport)," said DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo told reporters in a press conference held in Manila on Friday.

As of now, Filipinos are either using manually scripted passports (green or brown) or machine-readable passports (MRP).

But the DFA said the e-passport is more advanced than the two because it has a 64-kilobyte microchip where the security features and personal data of the holder are stored – a measure meant to combat fraud and tampering of the travel document.

Using it, Romulo said OFWs can just pass through the immigration of the host country without any problem – unlike previous instances when many of them are held there for a long time.

“You are waved through with hardly any questions asked, kumbaga, balewala (in other words, no hassle)," he said, adding that if the Filipino is asked anything, it would just be how long he or she will be staying the country.

According to Romulo, the Philippines is one of the 62 “progressive countries" issuing e-passports to its citizens.

The DFA said it will be releasing an initial two to four million e-passports which can be availed within three to four days for P950 each. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the first Filipino to receive an e-passport with code EA000001.

But it clarified that machine-readable passports will remain valid until their expiration date. On the other hand, manually scripted passports will no longer be recognized starting April 10, 2010.

That's progress for sure. Identity theft through stolen passport will always be a problem esp for certain countries. But who the hell will want to steal a Philippine passport? You need a visa for practically every other country in the world. It's a blessing.

I wonder though what's the content of the biometric chip in the new passports (my appointment for renewal is on Wednesday, by the way). Will it contain just my picture, my fingerprints, or both?

Hello everyone, help please. I will be coming home to Manila this November 9. Gusto ko lang malaman, baka may balita kayo, in effect na ba ang pag issue ng Philippine biometric passport? I need to renew my passport. Pero gusto ko rin malaman, if anybody knows or has the same experience, mag eexpire din ba ang visa sa isang passport kung expired na yung passport? I have an Australian permanent residence visa saying it is valid upto 2013. I just want to be sure.

Saka, mabilis lang kaya ang processing ng biometric passport? I will only be staying upto the 3rd of January, alam naman natin na kapag December na, marami na ang naghoholiday or usually sarado government agencies.

Will appreciate any help and replies!

Isa pa palang tanong, since I will be entering Manila on my old passport, hindi ba ako magkakaproblema kapag eexit ako ng Pinas using a new passport...kasi di ba may immigration stamps pa yan.......I hope I won't face the same dilemma if I enter Australia again.....

Skyharbor, balita naman, how did your passport renewal go? Kelangan pa pala magpa appointment shucks, matagal ba bago bigyan ng schedule? I read kelangan online ka mag file ng appointment?

Hello everyone, help please. I will be coming home to Manila this November 9. Gusto ko lang malaman, baka may balita kayo, in effect na ba ang pag issue ng Philippine biometric passport? I need to renew my passport. Pero gusto ko rin malaman, if anybody knows or has the same experience, mag eexpire din ba ang visa sa isang passport kung expired na yung passport? I have an Australian permanent residence visa saying it is valid upto 2013. I just want to be sure.

Saka, mabilis lang kaya ang processing ng biometric passport? I will only be staying upto the 3rd of January, alam naman natin na kapag December na, marami na ang naghoholiday or usually sarado government agencies.

Will appreciate any help and replies!

A visa is a totally separate entity from the passport. A visa is issued by the nation you're entering, while a passport states your nationality (proof that you're a citizen of such country). All you need is a valid passport to use with your permanent resident visa when you enter/re-enter Australia.

Isa pa palang tanong, since I will be entering Manila on my old passport, hindi ba ako magkakaproblema kapag eexit ako ng Pinas using a new passport...kasi di ba may immigration stamps pa yan.......I hope I won't face the same dilemma if I enter Australia again.....

There shouldn't be a problem with exiting the Philippines with a new passport; the stamps on your old passport will not really affect your status upon exit. But it would be helpful if you hang on to your old passport (or colored copies of it) just in case something comes up. It's always good to have all your bases covered for any eventuality when traveling.

I'm finally getting my biometric passport on my birthday. :D

Skyharbor, how long did you have to wait for the DFA to reply on your request for an appointment online? I already made an online appointment I hope they reply soon.

Thanks kiretoce for the reply!

Skyharbor, how long did you have to wait for the DFA to reply on your request for an appointment online? I already made an online appointment I hope they reply soon.

I got mine the next day.

RP to benefit from smart card technology (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=521553&publicationSubCategoryId=66)

The Philippines stands to gain from the benefits of contactless or “smart” card technology which is now being used by most banks in the world, a local card producer said over the weekend.

In a statement, Allcard Philipines said contactless smart card technology has been in existence for two decades now and has been proven reliable in other countries.

“The danger is the possibility of our (present) system not being recognized by other countries which are using contactless card technology,” said Allcard marketing manager Franz Reyes.

“Asia is modernizing. With Southeast Asia developing into a regional economy, how can we Filipinos transact in, say Taiwan, Japan, Singapore or even Thailand if we don’t have or don’t know how to use contactless smart card technology?” he added.

Allcard, the leading and fastest-growing card producer in the Philippines currently services nine of the top 10 banks in the Philippines. Allcard says the Philippines is now ready for such a system.

According to Reyes, contactless smart card technology enables the user to avail of the tremendous benefits of a fully interactive world. With just a swipe of the smart card, users instantaneously connect themselves to a system which allows them to do transactions. Users can also modify or add information stored in a smart card’s 32 kilobyte memory. Using a reader, the card can then be read by the system.

Credit card companies and banks first began using contactless smart card technology a decade ago. Reyes said the potentials of the technology are enormous that governments are beginning to use it to enhance and improve public services.

According to Reyes, the Kuwaiti government, for example, has issued three million electronic multi-application identification cards to its citizens as part of its efforts to comply with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regulation designed to allow citizens of all Gulf countries to travel between member states.

Reyes said the issued card serves as the official identification card of a Kuwaiti citizen. The smart card is embedded with a 32kb memory chip secured and encrypted with the card users’ information.

China, meanwhile, is on the verge of completing its $ 3.5 billion national identification smart card program. The program aims to provide 900 million smart cards to be used by Chinese citizens in their government transactions. Recently, China Expert Technology has received a $57-million order for e-government systems in Fuzhou City in Fujian province. China wants a contactless card security system.

Meanwhile, 96 percent of Taiwan’s citizens are enjoying the benefits of a healthcare program using smart card technology. With the implementation in 2005 of the technology, Taiwan’s National Health Care Program has saved close to $2.8 billion in health-related expenditures alone. Twenty two million Taiwanese now enjoy free medical services with just a swipe of their contactless smart cards, connecting them to 17,000 medical facilities throughout the island state.

BUMP!

I finally got my biometric passport last Friday. :D

BUMP!

I finally got my biometric passport last Friday. :D

Do they have plans of issuing the new passport outside the Philippines?

^^ Uhm....aren't passports utilized outside the Philippines to begin with anyway? ;)

Do they have plans of issuing the new passport outside the Philippines?

Not yet I believe. They may end up doing it like how the U.S. does it now: ship applications to the Philippines, process them and then send back the finished product (biometric passport) back to the concerned diplomatic mission.

^^

Thanks:)


^^ Uhm....aren't passports utilized outside the Philippines to begin with anyway? ;)

Hehehe, I wasn't being clear. If you apply for a renewal while outside the Philippines you will be issued the Green Passport instead of the new one with smart chip.

I got my e-passport today. Ok naman. :colgate:

I think late next year pa ( tentative ) magsisimula ang e-passport applications ( and renewals ) in Australia. That's why I took the chance to renew my passport while staying here in Manila.

First, congrats to the government for implementing the machine readable and biometric passports. I think a few countries (US for sure) will be demanding biometric passports after a certain time.

As for the national id system, what happened to it? I think it's excellent to have one for the Philippines. Even if we only have our SIN in Canada, it links our information with a lot of major transactions with all levels of government, passport, taxes, banking, driver's license etc. It is used to cross check information that we are who we really say we are. That's the simplest use of the national id system. It doesn't have to be complicated.

For those naysayers, well, identity theft in the Philippines is already rampant whether in elections or property ownership, etc many things are forged, faked etc. But with a national identity system that can be used to cross check people's information it may lessen the possibilities. For the leftists, their funding comes primarily from EU sympathizers, where everyone is documented. Talk about big brother. If not, they can try living in communist capitalist haven called China. Even expats have to report to the police upon arrival. (My experience.)

oo nga. ang masama yung mga leftist pa ang agianst ng NAtional ID na ito. kahit saang news ko mababasa, yung mga nangungunang party list pa ang nag bablocked sa implementation nito kesyo may mananakaw daw na identity, gagamitin sa masama, at kung ano ano pang ke-echingang tsismis. hay, dapat i implement na yan.

kapag nanalo ang senate line-up ni Villar ay pwede na siguro close ang thread na to dahil siguradong wala ng pag-asa.

dapat meron na talagang national id system para ma id ang mga enemy of the state...

^^ Even so-called "enemies of the state" can still avail of the National ID; they are, in fact, still Filipinos no matter what principles they stand and fight for. ;)

yeah magandang idea ang National ID..dito sa SG malaking tulong yan (meron ID for citizens, permanent residents and even foreigners working in singapore)

take for example nung napapalit ako ng ATM ko kasi nasira..wala na kailangang papers or account number (wala akong dala kasi wala sa plano kong dumaan sa bank that time)..binigay ko lang ang ID ko and good enough na yun para i process ang request ko and after 15 minutes nakuha ko ang new ATM card ko

I would love to see a uniform passport for ASEAN members.. :banana:

^^ Even so-called "enemies of the state" can still avail of the National ID; they are, in fact, still Filipinos no matter what principles they stand and fight for. ;)

that is precisely why we need the national id....to get them to rejoin soceity.....madali ang delivery ng services....lalo na in times of calamities...

I would love to see a uniform passport for ASEAN members.. :banana:

I think a common passport design is in the works somewhere in line with the continued integration of ASEAN members into an EU-style community.

BUMP!

I finally got my biometric passport last Friday. :D

^^is it the e-passport or the Machine Readable Passport (MRP)?

I would love to see a uniform passport for ASEAN members.. :banana:

I think a common passport design is in the works somewhere in line with the continued integration of ASEAN members into an EU-style community.

^^i don't see any..the present electronic and machine readable passports are in compliance with international standards

^^is it the e-passport or the Machine Readable Passport (MRP)?

E-passport. However, it is more properly called a biometric passport.

^^i don't see any..the present electronic and machine readable passports are in compliance with international standards

A standard ASEAN passport would have a common cover across all ten member states (similar to EU passports), as well as data fields translated in all eleven ASEAN languages. It would have nothing to do with the technical standards by which machine-readable and biometric passports are based on.

^^oh ok....:D....is there a move from ASEAN for that?

^^ There supposedly is.

^^what happened?

^^ Not agreed upon yet. It's one of the steps ASEAN will supposedly take as it transforms itself into an EU-style community.

^^oh ok...tnx for that info sir...:)

Do they have plans of issuing the new passport outside the Philippines?

Not yet I believe. They may end up doing it like how the U.S. does it now: ship applications to the Philippines, process them and then send back the finished product (biometric passport) back to the concerned diplomatic mission.

^^that's how it will work...same set-up with the regional offices of DFA here...

hello po sa inyong lahat! I'm not so sure if this is the right thread, but I badly need your help right now.

this is about my "green" passport which will expire in 2013. many people told me that I have to renew my passport. my travel agent said... I can go back to the Philippines but di na raw ako pwedeng bumalik pag di na-renew ang passport ko.:ohno: Hanggang April 1, 2010 daw di na valid ito. tapos napanood ko kani-kanina lang sa 24 oras na ok daw ang green passport as long as it's not expired.;) nagugulahan talaga ako. kung pwede sana ayaw ko ng gumastos pa. sa Honolulu lang kasi ang opisina nila:bash:


please please help me!;) happy New Year! thank you:cheers:

If you have a problem and you have a valid US visa, The best way is go to the US Immigration office and explain your situations and also ask a temporary travel visa card (It looks like the size of a passport with US SEAL cover) because you will be renewing your old passport and you are traveling soon due to family emergency. I hope it works because it worked on my mother's predicament a while back. She went back to the Philippines round trip using the traveler's visa.
Renewing a Philippines passport in a consulate take only about two hours here in NY As long as all the documents are in place, I don't know about Hawaii.

Have your passport renewed 6 months before it expires including U.S.

Gov't to implement unified ID system in March (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p100108.htm&no=69)

Manila (8 January) -- A unified identification (ID) system will be implemented this year with the signing in the first quarter of the memorandum of agreement among the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and Home Development Mutual Fund (PagIbig).

SSS administrator Romulo Neri, who is spearheading the national ID system, made the announcement during the signing of Republic Act 9903, condoning penalties on un-remitted SSS premium contributions by employers.

"By March, we will be printing two million IDs," said Neri. "We expect to print 12 million IDs in five years," said Neri.

Initially, the unified ID system was intended to be used also for the poll automation of the Commission on Election (Comelec).

"Since Comelec has not completely finished its registration and other concerns, then we strongly doubt we can push through with it. Besides, we do not want to make it appear that we are doing this for the election," said Neri.

The national ID system was revived by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in January 2007 during a command conference with President Arroyo at Camp Aguinaldo.

In September 2008, the SSS spearheaded the project with a common reference number to be issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) based on its database. (PIA-MMIO)

hello po sa inyong lahat! I'm not so sure if this is the right thread, but I badly need your help right now.

this is about my "green" passport which will expire in 2013. many people told me that I have to renew my passport. my travel agent said... I can go back to the Philippines but di na raw ako pwedeng bumalik pag di na-renew ang passport ko.:ohno: Hanggang April 1, 2010 daw di na valid ito. tapos napanood ko kani-kanina lang sa 24 oras na ok daw ang green passport as long as it's not expired.;) nagugulahan talaga ako. kung pwede sana ayaw ko ng gumastos pa. sa Honolulu lang kasi ang opisina nila:bash:


please please help me!;) happy New Year! thank you:cheers:

If you have a problem and you have a valid US visa, The best way is go to the US Immigration office and explain your situations and also ask a temporary travel visa card (It looks like the size of a passport with US SEAL cover) because you will be renewing your old passport and you are traveling soon due to family emergency. I hope it works because it worked on my mother's predicament a while back. She went back to the Philippines round trip using the traveler's visa.
Renewing a Philippines passport in a consulate take only about two hours here in NY As long as all the documents are in place, I don't know about Hawaii.

Have your passport renewed 6 months before it expires including U.S.

^^good suggestion....:)

ay gusto ko yang national id na yan.. kasi para kunwari expired na ang license mo or postal or any valid id na nageexpire e yun na ang ipapakita mo wala ng tanong tanong.. as in yun na ang pinaka credible..

ask ko lang dun sa pagkuha ng birth certificate may nakalagay dun na choice na lalagyan mo ng check nakalagay dun ay "BIRTHCARD" does any of you got a birth card?

hello po sa inyong lahat! I'm not so sure if this is the right thread, but I badly need your help right now.

this is about my "green" passport which will expire in 2013. many people told me that I have to renew my passport. my travel agent said... I can go back to the Philippines but di na raw ako pwedeng bumalik pag di na-renew ang passport ko.:ohno: Hanggang April 1, 2010 daw di na valid ito. tapos napanood ko kani-kanina lang sa 24 oras na ok daw ang green passport as long as it's not expired.;) nagugulahan talaga ako. kung pwede sana ayaw ko ng gumastos pa. sa Honolulu lang kasi ang opisina nila:bash:


please please help me!;) happy New Year! thank you:cheers:

yeah, same problem with me, the passport that I am using is still the green one. I had two passports at one time, the other is a MRP but it is an Official Passport (Red one) and it already expired (1 year lang ang validity). So is it okay to still use my Green Passport until it expires or I really need to get the biometric passport?

yeah, same problem with me, the passport that I am using is still the green one. I had two passports at one time, the other is a MRP but it is an Official Passport (Red one) and it already expired (1 year lang ang validity). So is it okay to still use my Green Passport until it expires or I really need to get the biometric passport?

1 year lang ba ang validity ng offcial (red) passport? Alam ko, every trip ay pinaparevalidate ito sa DFA.

1 year lang ba ang validity ng offcial (red) passport? Alam ko, every trip ay pinaparevalidate ito sa DFA.

1 year expiry, but you must have it revalidated every trip.

With the unification of id of SSS, GSIS, PagIbig and Philhealth ( 4 in 1), would banks and other firms which require 2 -3 IDs for opening of accounts, etc. honor such a single ID?

yeah, same problem with me, the passport that I am using is still the green one. I had two passports at one time, the other is a MRP but it is an Official Passport (Red one) and it already expired (1 year lang ang validity). So is it okay to still use my Green Passport until it expires or I really need to get the biometric passport?

I believe as long as it's still valid, you can still use your green passport. It'll just take at little longer than usual for you at the immigration counter since it's not biometric.

yeah, same problem with me, the passport that I am using is still the green one. I had two passports at one time, the other is a MRP but it is an Official Passport (Red one) and it already expired (1 year lang ang validity). So is it okay to still use my Green Passport until it expires or I really need to get the biometric passport?

it doesn't matter kahit ano pa kulay ng passport mo..
when you go to the DFA website, they are allowing all passports for travel unless it has not expired yet..
AND
just make sure each time you travel, BY INTERNATIONAL LAW
the date of your departure date should at least be 6 months prior the date of expiration of your passport.

ung situation ko medyo tricky..
my green passport is gonna expire this september..
I am going back to the Philippines this march.. which is still OK kasi 6 months prior pa..
but then.. when i go come back, my passport will only be 5 months prior expiration.. which is agains the LAW.
So I have to renew it when I am in the Philippines... or else I won't be able to travel back :D
luckily i won't have problems with the Visa thing.. coz we have Immigrant IDs here.

^^ The six-month expiry requirement is not the law. It's a suggestion implemented in many countries, particularly in Asia, as a deterrent against foreigners from illegally overstaying in the countries of their destination.

At least Philippine passport renewal times are quick: if you renew to a new biometric passport, you'll get it in five days.

^^ The six-month expiry requirement is not the law. It's a suggestion implemented in many countries, particularly in Asia, as a deterrent against foreigners from illegally overstaying in the countries of their destination.

At least Philippine passport renewal times are quick: if you renew to a new biometric passport, you'll get it in five days.

Yeah mabilis sila magprocess dito ng passport- you can even schedule it I think. Nanghihinayang lang kasi ako kasi may natitira pa akong pages sa green...

^^ The six-month expiry requirement is not the law. It's a suggestion implemented in many countries, particularly in Asia, as a deterrent against foreigners from illegally overstaying in the countries of their destination.

At least Philippine passport renewal times are quick: if you renew to a new biometric passport, you'll get it in five days.

i talked to a Philippine consul and that is what he said to me.
Anyway.. if you travel with an already expired passport.. you'll get a fine of 50 thousand pesos i think...

i talked to a Philippine consul and that is what he said to me.
Anyway.. if you travel with an already expired passport.. you'll get a fine of 50 thousand pesos i think...

Airlines will not let you board the plane if your passport is going to expire within 6 months as well - they will be penalized too.

^^ I was allowed to board a PAL flight to Hong Kong with my U.S. passport expiring in three months and everything turned out okay.

^^ I think it depends on the country you are going to.. meron talaga maluwag meron ding mahigpit. so it's safer to just follow the rule i guess :D

^^ I was allowed to board a PAL flight to Hong Kong with my U.S. passport expiring in three months and everything turned out okay.

Swerte mo lang yun, don't do it again. If the airlines got caught, they will be penalised heavily. I worked with this industry during international conferences and that is one of the many requirements for our visiting guests.

With the unification of id of SSS, GSIS, PagIbig and Philhealth ( 4 in 1), would banks and other firms which require 2 -3 IDs for opening of accounts, etc. honor such a single ID?

I think as long as ALL the necessary/important information/numbers are found on the face of the Unified ID, that would be sufficient. But there might be stricter policies on some banks on Customer identification so we'll just have to wait and see.

Swerte mo lang yun, don't do it again. If the airlines got caught, they will be penalised heavily. I worked with this industry during international conferences and that is one of the many requirements for our visiting guests.

It's not my luck. Hong Kong does not require foreigners to have passports with a validity beyond six months. Same goes for Japan, but if you require a visa, you must have a passport valid for at least six months prior to entry.

DFA moves consular affairs office (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=553905&publicationSubCategoryId=65)
(The Philippine Star) Updated March 01, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced yesterday that its Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) has started the gradual transfer of its operations to a new building at the corner of Bradco and Macapagal Avenues in Aseana Business Park, near the Mall of Asia.

The new 7,000-square meter, four-story building is a few blocks away from the DFA’s main building.

Authentication services will be transferred to the new building on March 4, and all passport operations on March 8.

To ensure quick service, the DFA advised passport applicants to check the passport requirements and secure an online appointment at www.dfa.gov.ph (consular tab), or to call the consular helpline number (02-556-0000) or DFA telephone number (02-834-4000). Applications may also be filed with the DFA’s 19 regional consular and satellite offices.

^^ Few blocks? Huh? :?

^^ D kotse kz mga taga DFA :D

^^ D kotse kz mga taga DFA :D

Hindi lahat. Pero naman, maawa naman sana kayo sa lumang building ng DFA na katabi ay beerhouse.

buti nman at may bagong office na ang DFA.. medyo madadalian ako magparenew ng passport this MArch, good timing! :D

I HATED THE OLD DFA OFFICE.. ang init, ang dilim sa loob ng building, uber haba ng pila, daming fixers, ang gulo gulo!! our barangay hall had better facilities than them!! :P

DFA’s consular servicing begins March 4 at new site near MOA (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=261957)

MANILA, March 3 (PNA) — Beginning March 4, the authentication of consular documents will be fully serviced by the Department of Foreign (DFA) at the new location of its Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) section at the ASEANA Business Park on the corner of Bradco and Macapagal Avenues in Paranaque City.

Passport operations and all other consular applications beginning March 8 will also be on the same location, according to the DFA.

The OCA site is a few blocks from the DFA main building on Roxas Boulevard, near the SM Mall of Asia.

“It is part of our dream for the Filipino people to have a world-class passport and consular services. We have done it through the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) and the ePassport, and now the dream is complete with the new DFA-OCA building,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said at the inaugural blessing of the building.

To ensure quick service, passport applicants are advised to check the passport requirements and secure an online appointment at www.dfa.gov.ph (consular tab), or to call the consular help-line number (02-556-0000) or DFA telephone number (02-834-4000).

Applications may also be filed with the DFA’s 19 Regional Consular and satellite offices. (PNA)

Passport applications with confirmed appointments processed at new DFA building (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=262670)

MANILA, March 5 (PNA) —- Passport applications with confirmed appointments will be accepted and processed at a new building housing the Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) beginning March 8, Monday, it was announced Friday.

The new four-storey OCA building is located at the corner of Macapagal Avenue and Bradco Street, Aseana Business Park, Pasay City, near the SM Mall of Asia.

Applicants may set an appointment by going on line (www.passport.com.ph) or by calling 737-1000. Travel agents can secure an appointment at www.dfa.gov.ph or email at scheduler@dfa-appointment.net. They may also call 834-4961, 834-4855 and 834-3707 for other details.

Applicants are no longer required to bring photographs since they will have their pictures taken using ePassport data capturing machines at DFA-OCA.

But they still need to bring other necessary requirements such as the application form that is available for download at the DFA website and at the reception desks of the new consular building.

Only those with confirmed appointments will be accommodated at the new facility.

“This appointment system will be strictly implemented to enable DFA to pre-process information submitted in advance by an applicant, thus avoiding long queues, as experienced by walk-in applicants at the DFA-OCA main office in Roxas Boulevard,” OCA Assistant Secretary Renato L. Villapando said.

The new ePassport technology has built-in capacity to detect fraud by capturing biometrics, signature, and fingerprints of applicants. Applicants are also advised that only genuine documents should be submitted.

Meanwhile, to avoid being victimized by fixers, applicants are advised to deal only with DFA-OCA personnel inside the building. No escorts are allowed to accompany individual applicants.

The new OCA building is part of the ongoing modernization program initiated by DFA Secretary Alberto G. Romulo to further improve the DFA’s frontline services which include harnessing new technologies in passport and visa issuances and streamlined procedures in the authentication of documents.

”It is part of our dream for the Filipino people to have a world-class passport and consular services. We have done it through the Machine-Readable Passport and the ePassport, and now the dream is complete with the new DFA-OCA building,” Romulo said. (PNA)

DFA: Passport application strictly by appointment (http://mb.com.ph/articles/246465/passport-applications-with-scheduled-appointment-be-entertained-new-oca-bld)

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Saturday reminded passport applicants to schedule an appointment with the DFA to ensure that their applications will be accommodated.

The DFA’s new Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) building near Mall of Asia will be open Monday, thus decongesting the DFA Main Office (along) Roxas Blvd., Pasay City.

“Only those with confirmed appointments will be accommodated at the new facility,” the DFA said.

“This appointment system will be strictly implemented to enable DFA to pre-process information submitted in advance by an applicant, thus avoiding long queues, as experienced by walk-in applicants at the DFA-OCA main office in Roxas Boulevard,” Office of Consular Affairs Assistant Secretary Renato Villapando said.

According to the DFA, passport applicants may set an appointment by going online (www.passport.com.ph) or by calling 737-1000. Travel agents can secure an appointment at www.dfa.gov.ph or email at scheduler@dfa-appointment.net. They may also call 834-4961, 834-4855 and 834-3707 for other details.

“Applicants are no longer required to bring photographs since they will have their pictures taken using ePassport data capturing machines at DFA-OCA,” the DFA said.

However, applicants are still required to bring their application form, which may be downloaded from the DFA website, www.dfa.gov.ph.

“Applicants are advised to deal only with DFA-OCA personnel inside the building. No escorts are allowed to accompany individual applicants,” the DFA stressed.

Earlier, Villapando said that once the new OCA Bldg. is opened to the public, walk-in applications will no longer be available except for emergency situations.

Regular passport processing is pegged at P950 and can be claimed after 14 working days while overtime or expedited processing amounts to P1,200 for a seven-day period. Replacement of lost valid passport
will be charged an additional P200.

Villapando said the new passport application procedure is expected to take 30 minutes or even less as the new facility is equipped with 60 new data capturing computer stations.

Courier services are also available so that applicants who have no time to claim their passport may have their passport delivered right on their doorstep.

Villapando said they are also working on the availability of passport application appointments through phone or text messaging.

Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Domingo Lucenario had said the new OCA building is a “long-term solution” to get rid of passport fixers.

The new OCA Bldg. houses the e-passport, which has enhanced security features equipped with a tamper-proof electronic microchip. The enhanced security features prevents identity fraud and multiple identity cases frequent in the old green passport.

“It is at par with the best passport systems in the world,” Lucenario said. The new 7,000 – square meter, four-storey OCA building, including the lot and physical structures, amount to P530-million. It houses the electronic authentication system, the electronic visa system, and digitized consular records system.

It is equipped with fiber-optic lines, closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and other high-tech communication infrastructure.

The DFA issues about 3,000 to 4,000 passports everyday at its main office with more than two million passports issued to individuals in November 2009. There are also more than 18,000 e-passport holders since it was launched in August 2009.

i checked the DFA appointment site.. and it was very informative and oK! :D

Appointment system eases passport processing time (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=101&nid=10&rid=264033)

MANILA, March 12 (PNA)—A week after it moved to its new building, the Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) today said about 55 per cent of some 4,000 passport applications it processes daily have availed of the apparently well-applauded appointment system.

”It is doing well in ensuring that applicants are receiving quick and efficient service. If they have complete supporting documents, applicants can complete the whole application process in 30 minutes,” according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“I think this is great, really GREAT! It will lessen the crowd going to the DFA. It will lessen the risk of being fooled by fixers and it will also lessen the chance of applicants going back and forth to the DFA because of problems regarding their application like lack of requirements,” the DFA quoted an applicant, who requested anonimity, as saying.

DFA said it accomplished all these because it streamlined the application process and significantly added service windows.

In the passport data-capturing section alone, service windows have been significantly increased.

Passport applicants also do not have to queue standing while waiting to be attended to. With the introduction of automated service number system, they are seated in ergonomically-designed chairs in air-conditioned rooms.

Applicants with appointments for the day can have their documents examined. They then proceed to the second floor to pay the passport fees.

The DFA recently moved to its new vonsular building located along Bradco and Macapagal Avenues in Aseana Business Park, near the Mall of Asia. The new facility is the home of the ePassport, electronic authentication system, electronic visa system, and digitalized consular records system.

The DFA reminds passport applicants to avail of the appointment system to ensure quick and comfortable service. Applicants can check the passport requirements and secure an appointment by logging in at www.passport.com.ph or calling the 24-hour hotline (02) 737-1000.

They may also call the DFA helplines at telephone numbers (02) 831-8971, (02) 551-4437, (02) 551-4402, (02) 834-4855 and (02) 834-4424, during office hours.

Applicants are no longer required to bring photographs since they will have their pictures taken using ePassport data-capturing machines.

Outside Metro Manila, 18 DFA Regional Consular Offices are spread around the country providing consular services.(PNA)

Philippine biometric passport

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/81/Philippine_Passport_Biometric.jpg/428px-Philippine_Passport_Biometric.jpg

It's not my luck. Hong Kong does not require foreigners to have passports with a validity beyond six months. Same goes for Japan, but if you require a visa, you must have a passport valid for at least six months prior to entry.

One Hong Konger told me that she was refused boarding by her airline going to Manila last Good Friday because her passport was going to expire in less than 6 months.


Speaking of the new consular building- I took some photos two days ago when I was there. Repost ko from the Foreign Diplomatic Missions in the Philippines, and Philippine Diplomatic Missions abroad thread - Here:

The New Consular Building of DFA at Macapagal Avenue.

Map:

http://epassport.com.ph/img/location-map.gif


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/kiretoce/SSC%20pix/DFA1.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/kiretoce/SSC%20pix/DFA2.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/kiretoce/SSC%20pix/DFA3.jpg

Inside the Authentication Office - yes. sobrang dami ng tao dun.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/kiretoce/SSC%20pix/DFA4.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/kiretoce/SSC%20pix/DFA5.jpg

Types of passports

Regular passport (green/maroon)

A regular passport is issued to any citizen of the Philippines applying for a Philippine passport. It is the most common type of passport issued and is used for all travel by Philippine citizens and non-official travel by Philippine government officials. This passport has a green cover for handwritten passports and a maroon cover for machine-readable and biometric-passports.


Diplomatic passport (blue)

A diplomatic passport is issued to members of the Philippine diplomatic service, members of the Cabinet, service attachés of other government agencies assigned to Philippine diplomatic posts abroad and Philippine delegates to international and regional organizations. It is the first of two passports issued to the President of the Philippines and the Presidential family. This passport has a dark blue cover and extends to the bearer the privilege of diplomatic immunity.


Official passport (red)

An official passport is issued to members of the Philippine government for use on official business, as well as employees of Philippine diplomatic posts abroad who are not members of the diplomatic service. It is the second of two passports issued to the President and the Presidential family. As such, this passport does not extend the privilege of diplomatic immunity. Government officials are prohibited from using official passports for non-official business, and as such also have regular passports. This passport has a red cover.


Seaman's Identification Record Book (light blue)

The Seaman's Identification Record Book (SIRB) is issued to Filipinos who work as crewmembers on foreign-registered ships, as well as Philippine-registered ships with a weight over 35 gross tons. This type of passport is not issued by the DFA but by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and as such is unavailable outside the Philippines. There are special requirements for this type of passport, including certification by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and other agencies. This passport has a light blue cover.

Physical appearance

A Philippine passport has a maroon cover with the coat of arms of the Philippines emblazoned in the center. The cover contains the Filipino words "PILIPINAS" on top and "PASAPORTE" on the bottom. Passports issued in the late Marcos era (1980-1986) had the order reversed (strikingly similar to the United States passport), with "PASAPORTE" on top and "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS" on the bottom. A typical passport has 44 (previously 32 or 64) pages.


Languages

Philippine passports are issued in both English and Filipino, with Filipino preceding English. All text in Filipino in brown passports were written with diacritics included, although diacritics are no longer used in green and maroon passports.

The information on a passport's data page are written in Filipino and English.


Data page

Philippine passports have different styles of data pages. Old brown passports have both a data and physical description page, with the picture located on the description page rather than the data page, which are separated by the passport note. Green passports issued before 2004 have the data page on the inner cover followed by the passport note page. Passports issued after 2004 have the passport note and data pages reversed, with the passport note on the inner cover page.

The data page contains the following information:

Passport type (P)
Country code (PHL)
Passport number
Passport numbers vary with each type of passport. Brown passports have a letter followed by six numbers, while green passports issued before 2005 have two letters followed by six numbers. Passports issued after 2005 (including machine-readable and biometric passports) have two letters followed by seven numbers.
Names
A bearer's last name goes first, followed by the first names and middle name (mother's maiden last name)
Nationality (Filipino)
Date of birth (written in the European date format with months abbreviated)
Sex (M or F)
Date of issue
Date of expiry
A Philippine passport is valid for five years from the date of issue. Passports issued from 1981 to 1986 were valid for two years and may be extended for another two years.
Issuing authority
Valid issuing authorities for Philippine passports include the main office of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, branch offices of the DFA located in certain cities around the Philippines, and Philippine embassies and consulates.
Signature of bearer (for biometric passports)

With new maroon-covered passports, the passport data page ends with the Machine Readable Zone. This zone is absent in green-covered passports.

Philippine passports are known for having data entries written by hand rather than typed or computerized, although this is common only for passports issued in the Philippines. This practice is called "scripting" by the DFA. Passports issued by Philippine diplomatic missions typically have data entries typed rather than written. Machine-readable passports have their entries entered by computer.


Passport note

The passports contain a note from the issuing state that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. The note inside all Philippine passports state:

In Filipino:

"Ang Pamahalaan ng Republika ng Pilipinas ay humihiling sa lahat na kinauukulan na pahintulutan ang pinagkalooban nito, isang mamamayan ng Pilipinas, na makaraan nang malaya at walang sagabal, at kung kailangan, ay pag-ukulan siya ng lahat ng tulong at proteksyon ayon sa batas."

In English:

"The Government of the Republic of the Philippines requests all concerned authorities to permit the bearer, a citizen of the Philippines, to pass safely and freely and in case of need to give him/her all lawful aid and protection."

The note is first written in Filipino, and is then repeated in English.


Signature field

A Philippine passport is invalid if the passport is not signed, and normally the bearer affixes his/her signature on the signature field, whose position has varied with various incarnations of Philippine passports. Persons too young to sign a passport may have a parent or legal guardian sign the passport on their behalf.

Brown passports originally contained the signature field below the data page at the passport's inner cover. When green passports began being issued in 1995, a field where the bearer must sign the passport appeared below the passport note.

Machine-readable passports originally had no signature field, a source of much controversy as Filipinos applying for foreign visas, whether for travel or employment, have either been requested to get a copy of their passport application form,[9] or denied altogether. Newer versions of this passport eventually had the signature field at the back cover, below the important reminders for Philippine passport holders.

Biometric passports are the only Philippine passports which do not require the physical signature of the bearer, as an image of the bearer's signature is printed onto the passport data page.

Philippine biometric passport

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/81/Philippine_Passport_Biometric.jpg/428px-Philippine_Passport_Biometric.jpg

http://sgp-blog.horneber.de/uploaded_images/passport-771400.jpg


parang german passport

Tanong ko lang..

kailangan paba ng TIN Number para kumuha ng Student Permit sa LTO..?
Kung kailangan man.. pano kumuha ng TIN sa BIR kahit wala pa akong trabaho..

Anyway, ewan ko lang na implement na ba ito..
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=526793&publicationSubCategoryId=92

^^^^

di na kailangan ang tin number sa lto. just in case gusto mong kumuha ng tin ay punta ka lang sa bir sa inyo and apply for a tin number, madali lang.

^^ nakalagay po dun sa req. sa site nila kelangan ng TIN eh...

So if you are a Phillipine citizen and you want a passport you have to go to the DFA ?, i hope they decentralize it by allowing city halls to dispense passports and applications .

SSS chief says new unified ID system to carry voter's info
By Vernadette Joven (philstar.com) Updated May 18, 2010 05:09 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Social Security System (SSS) President Romulo Neri said today that the new unified ID system that four agencies of the government are now working can also serve as a voter’s ID.

Neri disclosed this during his visit to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) this morning to discuss with Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal details of the memorandum of agreement for the project.

“We want to make it (unified ID) a voter’s ID as an added service for our members. We will not charge the Comelec for this because there are a lot of empty spaces available. For the IDs that were already printed, we can simply add the sticker logo of the Comelec. This doesn’t cost must so adding it won’t be a problem,” he said.

Although the initial target is for the identification card to serve all members of the SSS, GSIS, Pag-Ibig and Philheath, Neri said that they are also eyeing the possibility of expanding the scope of the unified ID to cover Philpost, DSWD, and DILG.

“The more agencies that can share the cost of producing the ID the cheaper it will be. We could even include the indigents. Initially, we thought the card would cost us P250 each but because of the bidding, we were able to bring it down to P140. Divide that by four agencies sharing the cost, it would only amount to less than P50 per card," he added.

The four agencies are also working with the World Bank , which offered to finance the cost of the card for DSWD's Pangtawid Pamilya program. “They are thinking of giving $6 million to $7 million, which can shoulder the cost of four million identification cards but if more agencies would come on board, then the WB fund would go a long way and maybe can produce up to 10 million IDs,” Neri explained.

Neri spearheaded the unified ID system project when he was still with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) but the project was shelved when protests were raised and the issue was elevated to the Supreme Court.

^^ good
So if you are a Phillipine citizen and you want a passport you have to go to the DFA ?, i hope they decentralize it by allowing city halls to dispense passports and applications .

Yes, only DFA is authorized to process and issue passport but it has regional offices in Cebu, Legaspi, Davao

^^^^

there are dfa offices in almost all regions in the philippines where you could secure a philippine passport.

trademark ba yan ng company na gumagawa ng biometric chuvah yang mukhang logo na nasa lower portion ng passport? may ganyan din kasi ang cover ng passport ng japan

One Hong Konger told me that she was refused boarding by her airline going to Manila last Good Friday because her passport was going to expire in less than 6 months.


Speaking of the new consular building- I took some photos two days ago when I was there. Repost ko from the Foreign Diplomatic Missions in the Philippines, and Philippine Diplomatic Missions abroad thread - Here:


No flash ginamit mo? Discreet lang to kasi bawal to take photos inside DFA.

Anyway, the new office is better than the old one. Gone are the days of fixers. :cheers:

trademark ba yan ng company na gumagawa ng biometric chuvah yang mukhang logo na nasa lower portion ng passport? may ganyan din kasi ang cover ng passport ng japan

It's not a trademark of any one company per se. It's the universal logo to denote that the passport is an e-passport (biometric).

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uGShOtYdG_o/RdeR7Q60p-I/AAAAAAAAADg/fXcJ8eJMB80/s320/biometric.jpg

^^i see :D

anyway, do the colors of the passport stand for something? or do countries just choose them at random?

^^ I don't know about other countries, but the US passport comes in three colors:

Regular Passports (blue cover) are issued to citizens and non-citizen nationals of the United States of America.

Official Passports (maroon cover) are issued to citizen-employees [and their eligible dependents] of the United States of America assigned overseas either permanently or temporarily. And to members of Congress who travel abroad on official business.

Diplomatic Passports (black cover) are issued to accredited US diplomats abroad [and their eligible dependents]. And to citizens that lives in the US but travel abroad for diplomatic work.

^^ good


Yes, only DFA is authorized to process and issue passport but it has regional offices in Cebu, Legaspi, Davao

Also in Cagayan de Oro and Butuan Cities.

Speaking of that, the DFA's regional offices now accept applications for biometric passports. :okay:

Of course, they have offices in:

*San Fernando (La Union)
*Tuguegarao
*San Fernando (Pampanga)
*Batangas
*Lucena
*Puerto Princesa
*Legazpi
*Baguio
*Iloilo
*Bacolod
*Cebu
*Tacloban
*Zamboanga
*Davao
*Cagayan de Oro
*General Santos
*Butuan

But on a side note just to discuss or comment on it a bit isnt this DFA system inneficient ?, why double the bureaucracy while not providing convenient service to all citizens ?, by charging local city halls to handle passport applications you can cut the number of bureaucrats required and simply have a main DFA office to deal with producing and clearing the passport request, then simply sending passports by post to the city hall anywhere in the country where the request was made to be picked up.

Just to note that this is how its done in other mainly western countries and others .

I understand that perhaps there might be difficulties in computerising all local government bureaucracies and plugging them into a type of national government grid and problems arising from corruption, and perhaps there isnt enough demand yet to warrant it, but i hope its an innovation that can be introduced in the future for the country once the other obstacles or issues are ironed out.

When you think about it its not really very democratic if people in certain areas cant enjoy what should be the same basic government services every citizen should be entitled to, because despite the noted number of regional DFA offices there would still be alot of people who might not be able to easily reach one of them thus creating an unequal circumstance between citizens .

Anyway as noted i understand that its probably not a big deal at the moment as there probably isnt alot of demand in those places and people are willing to travel the distances to get their passports, but its sort of a chiken and the egg situation on wheter demand would grow if the services were more accessible ... .

-----

On another issue should the country start to think of implementing an official Identity Card system to help improve government services, or is such expansion too early, expensive and complicated for the country to handle at this point ?.

http://media.paperblog.fr/i/76/764303/carte-didentite-electronique-senregistrer-sur-L-1.jpeg
Lol no its not me

But this is an E-ID electronic identity card system theyve got over here which replaced old paper based ones.

Basically it has a chip that allows you to hand it to any government services and they will be able to see all the relevant information to confirm identity which can also be used as a means of confirming identity when going to the bank or other similar cirucmstance, date of birth, adress, national number, personal status and so on, it basically also allows an individual to more easily move around ( we can use these id cards to travel through airports whitin europe instead of passports ), the card can also be used to acces certain online government services and allows you to for example print a document at home instead of having to go to city hall to get it, and even for voting electronically.

Other information include or would include in the future social security information or healthcare information which currently exists on a seperate card, and perhaps in the near future electronic driving licenses sort of like that "octopus card" but for your personal/government issues .

At least its something to think about as the country continues to develop rapidly and these kinds of services might become necessary to efficiently serve citizens in a more modern society .

And btw if there are members who live or have lived in neighbouring countries and places like Singapore, Hong Kong, other ASEAN or East Asia how are things in those places do they have ID cards not necessarily electronic and how does it work ? .

^^ tama i think we really need a national identity card.,, ang hirap hirap magopen ng account sa banko 2 id pa ang kailangan... eh kung may nat. ID na tayo ei d mas madali na....

Speaking of that, the DFA's regional offices now accept applications for biometric passports. :okay:

Of course, they have offices in:

*San Fernando (La Union)
*Tuguegarao
*San Fernando (Pampanga)
*Batangas
*Lucena
*Puerto Princesa
*Legazpi
*Baguio
*Iloilo
*Bacolod
*Cebu
*Tacloban
*Zamboanga
*Davao
*Cagayan de Oro
*General Santos
*Butuan

related news (17 lang above but according to DFA, 19 ang regional offices?:
All 19 regional offices now issue ePassports

INQUIRER.net First Posted 12:07:00 05/16/2010 Filed Under: Travel & Commuting, Government

MANILA, Philippines—All 19 regional consular offices (RCOs) of the Department of Foreign Affairs have been issuing electronic passports (ePassports) since April 28, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said.

“This way, our kababayans (countrymen) living in the provinces and overseas need not come to Manila to get a passport. They just have to go to an RCO nearest them and avail of the same fast and efficient services,” ne added.

The same day that the RCOs shifted from the machine-readable passport (MRP) to the ePassport, the Philippine consulate general in Hong Kong also rolled out the ePassports, the DFA-Office of Consular Affairs (OCA) said.

Other embassies and consulates general will soon follow suit, it said.

In the coming months, the DFA-OCA plans to accommodate more people as it will ramp up the system to accept more appointments—from 2,800 a day to around 3,300 a day, and even more in the near future. It is also aiming for a shorter queuing and turnaround time from receipt of application to the issuance of the passports. Earlier, Romulo said ePassport applications could last no more than 30 minutes from start to end.

nagrenew ako ng passport sa philippine embassy and it took about a month bago ko nakuha. sayang sana naghintay na lang ako until the e-passport becomes available kasi mrp yung bago kong passport. imo mas maganda yung dating passport. yung mrp masyadong makulay. :lol:

SSS chief says new unified ID system to carry voter's info
By Vernadette Joven (philstar.com) Updated May 18, 2010 05:09 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Social Security System (SSS) President Romulo Neri said today that the new unified ID system that four agencies of the government are now working can also serve as a voter’s ID.


Do they refer to the same Unified ID?


GSIS reminds members, pensioners of UMID-compliant eCard enrollment

May 12, 2010 8:13 pm

MANILA, May 12 – The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) enjoins its members and pensioners to enroll now for the UMID-compliant eCard, as the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System (G-W@PS) kiosks undergo an upgrade that would also make the latter UMID-compliant.

UMID stands for Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) System, an offshoot of Executive Order No. 420 which requires all government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations to streamline and harmonize their identification systems through the use of a unified multi-purpose ID.

The GSIS said holding on to the old eCard Plus will disallow members and pensioners from enjoying the full benefits of the new eCard. This, as the upgraded kiosks will only allow transactions using the UMID-compliant eCard.

Kiosk transactions include online loan applications, online viewing of GSIS records and annual renewal of active status for pensioners. The GSIS said members and pensioners cannot go through with these transactions using their old eCard Plus with the upgraded kiosks.

The UMID-compliant eCard is a multipurpose card which also functions as an ATM card, a transaction card, a debit card, hospitalization and medicine discount card, and an education benefit card, among others. These features cannot also be enjoyed by the members and pensioners using the old eCard Plus.

According to the GSIS, after enrollment, members will receive their UMID-compliant eCards through their liaison officers, while pensioners will receive them by mail.

Once received, the UMID-compliant eCards should be activated using the upgraded kiosks.

The GSIS has also ceased to issue the eCard Plus to members, as it moves into the UMID system.

Enrollment for the new eCard is ongoing at the GSIS head office in Pasay City and in all of GSIS regional offices.

The GSIS, a pioneer in the issuance of multi-purpose cards, is the first to adopt the UMID card.

A unique feature of the UMID-compliant eCard is the Common Reference Number (CRN), which shall be linked to the ID numbers of the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG).

With the CRN, the UMID-compliant eCard will serve as a valid identification card not only for GSIS but also for SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG.

Hence, if you are a GSIS member and at the same time a member of PhilHealth or Pag-IBIG, your ID cards for these government agencies and GOCCs are unified into one UMID card which can be used as a valid identification card.

The UMID-compliant eCard may also be used as a valid transaction card for SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG but may require separate activation. (PNA)

http://balita.ph/2010/05/12/gsis-reminds-members-pensioners-of-umid-compliant-ecard-enrollment/

I think we should pursue a national ID, cut down ang bureaucracy talaga. Couple years ago when I was still part of the govt, I remember accomplishing a unified ID form, I dunno kung tuloy ito.

^^
Sana nga magkaroon na tayo ng National ID. Imagine mo ang ginhawa nito para sa atin at di mo na kailangang magdala ng madaming ID sa wallet mo at simple pa ang magiging ang verification sa iyo at mascomprehensive pa.

biometric passports

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/69/Biometric_passports.png

Biometric passports available to the general public

Announced future availability of biometric passports

^^ China does not have biometric passports?

^^ China does not have biometric passports?

For now