The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has opened two centers for the Step 2 registration of the national identification (ID) system in this capital town on Tuesday.
PSA Regional Director Fred Sollesta, who came for the opening of the centers at the Robinsons Mall Antique and the Delegate Angel Salazar Jr. Memorial School (DASJMS), said the centers initially will prioritize those who pre-registered here last year.
“Those who are being registered now are those who belonged to the low-income families who had been pre-registered already,” he said in an interview.
He added that the applicants have been informed ahead of Tuesday’s event of their time slot and assigned center for the registration. However, the centers can also cater to walk-in applicants if there is still ample time.
Sollesta said having the national ID system could make transactions easier and will lessen the burden in establishing an individual’s identity.
“To the public, we urge them to support this activity because through the ID system they could also open an account with the Land Bank of the Philippines and it would open for them other venues to avail of the assistance from the government,” he said.
He added that the IDs will be mailed to the registrant once it is available.
In a separate interview, PSA Provincial Director Jose Escote Jr. said that their registration could cater to 135 individuals per day.
They have three biometric machines at the Robinsons Mall Antique while five machines are available at the DASJMS. Each machine could cater to 45 registrants, he said.
The PSA targets around 10,000 registrants here until end of March.
“Our total target in Antique is 222,000 but then during the pre-registration we were able to attain more than our target,” he said.
The pre-registration was conducted from October to December last year.
He said they will soon conduct registration in the other municipalities of the province.
Teresita Del Rosario, a councilor of Barangay 2 here, said the registration will help barangay officials to easily identify their constituents.
Florentina Cayetano, a senior citizen, said the national ID system could help them avail their privileges such as when buying medicines and other needs.
“I am glad that they have prioritized us in the registration,” she said.
Signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in August 2018, Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens.
The national ID shall be a valid proof of identity that shall be a means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrollment in schools, and the opening of bank accounts.
It will also boost efficiency, especially in dealing with government services where people will only need to present one ID during transactions. (PNA)
