SSS, Philhealth to use single identification card

CEBU, Philippines - In accordance with the Executive Order numbers 420 and 700, which aim to unify identification systems of government institutions that issue ID cards, the Social Security System and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation have signed an agreement to use single identification systems.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Romulo Neri disclosed that their office and Philhealth have agreed to implement a single identification system for the members of the two agencies.

Neri said that an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) would be used in the Unified Multi-purpose ID system in order to establish the identities of their members.

According to Neri, basing on the SSS experience, the biometric AFIS technology prevents applicants from obtaining multiple ID cards.

He said that the UMID system will help enhance the integrity of the state-issued ID cards and facilitate the public’s transactions with the government offices.

It would also help reduce costs from producing different IDs and help in minimizing redundant databases. Neri and Philhealth President Dr. Rey Aquino signed the UMID agreement at the Department of Health head office in Manila last march 26.

Under their agreement, SSS and Philhealth will be spending for the UMID cards of each of their members and the two would equally share the cost of producing the IDs of those who are both SSS and Philhealth members.

But Neri said that once more government agencies join in the UMID, then they could probably have lower expenses in producing the cards.

Also, SSS is tied up with the National Statistics Office to build a central verification and enrollment system for the UMID wherein they signed the Memorandum of Agreement last March 16. —AJ de la Torre/WAB (THE FREEMAN)