SSS cuts processing time for members ID

CEBU, Philippines - The Social Security System (SSS) has cut down the processing time of members' identification cards to 10 working days, enabling it to eliminate its production backlog and bring the total number of SSS-issued IDs under the Unified Multi-purpose Identification System (UMID) to over three million so far.

The 10-working day processing time starts from the date of application up to the date the UMID card package is released to the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) for delivery to the member's mailing address.

“UMID production entails much more than printing a member's photo and personal details on a plastic card. The system uses biometric technology to confirm a person's identity and prevent issuance of multiple UMID cards that may be used to defraud SSS of undeserved benefits and services,” SSS said.

UMID applications start with the data capture, or the enrollment of biometric information – such as fingerprints, photo and signature – and encoding of the applicant's name, address, parents' names and other demographic data.

To ensure that only one UMID card will be issued to an individual, the member's fingerprints are compared with other fingerprints in the database during the centralized biometric data matching process. This is done overnight, after the applications are received at the branches.

Applications with a fingerprint match are immediately investigated by SSS, while those passing the uniqueness check are assigned a Common Reference Number (CRN), and then sent for card printing and personalization of the contactless smartchip, which takes three working days.

To ensure good quality, each printed card undergoes visual inspection within one to two working days, depending on the volume of cards, and then forwarded for card packaging, a one-day process that also includes the readability check and data verification of the smartchip.

Afterwards, the UMID card package is sent to PhilPost for delivery via registered mail as the final step. Mailing takes five to seven working days for addresses in Metro Manila, seven to 10 working days for outside Metro Manila, and 10 to 20 working days for remote areas. (FREEMAN)