ID system in Cebu City to help “unburden” beneficiaries of aid

CEBU, Philippines - At least 10,000 families in Cebu City will no longer have to go through a tedious bureaucratic process once the centralized Identification system would be institutionalized next year.

 Mayor Michael Rama’s executive assistant lawyer Jose Daluz III said the institution of centralized and customized ID system is seen to alleviate the delivery of basic services in the city.

 With the ID, heads of the families who qualify for the city’s health and other social welfare programs, particularly availing of City Hospitalization and Medicine Program, burial assistance, senior citizen and person with disabilities cash assistance, among others, would no longer need to bring a number of requirements to avail of programs and services since their basic information are already encoded in the ID.

 He said the ID would also serve as an automated teller machine card of the beneficiaries.

 “Ang vision nato kay they will be identified as poorest of the poor and they will be prioritized and will be given direct assistance sa city. The poor needs subsistence from the city, food, medical, etcetera,” he said.

This will be launched January next year and is seen to “unburden” both the beneficiaries and the city government in processing aids.

The Department of Social Welfare and Services and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council have started the profiling and screening of beneficiaries.

Those who can avail of the proposed scheme are heads of the families with an income not exceeding P5,000 a month. The rest of the family members are automatically covered and can avail of various benefits.

Daluz said the number of beneficiaries will eventually increase after the implementation of the system, which will cost the city millions of pesos including the ID data banks and software.

There are already at least four local software companies that have expressed intention to install the sophisticated system.

CCDRRMC chairman Councilor David Tumulak said the new ID system would also help the disaster office in terms of emergency responses and calamities, either man-made or natural.

 “Makatabang pagplano in terms of disaster preparedness; magamit panahon sa calamities like pag-identify sa mga victims and pag-fast tract of delivery of social services. Kinsa tinuod nga disaster victims for safety and security reasons,” he said.  (FREEMAN)