City gov’t introduces new ID system

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government has unveiled the prototype design of the new Cebu City identification system that aims to improve the delivery of basic services in the city.

With the new ID, qualified beneficiaries of the city’s health and other basic services will no longer bring a number of require-ments to avail of the programs and services like claiming burial assistance and aid for senior citizens and person with disabilities, as well as in availing of City Hospitalization and Medicine Program, among others.

The new ID would already contain the basic information of the card holder like the name, age, voter information, address and other pertinent information.

As earlier reported, 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 included and can avail of various benefits.

DSWS has included in their proposed budget for next year the institutionalization of the ID system amounting to P30 million.

Cebu City Business Center (CCBC) Executive Director Abby Canturias said that they helped Department of Social Welfare and Services come up with the design of the new identification system.

CCBC is the research arm of the city government.

Canturias said that the ID system was realized following their research that some of the beneficiaries of senior citizens come from different local government units and they usually come to the city every time the cash assistance is released

“We have noticed that there’s an increase of 9,000 ka senior citizens and dili sila taga Cebu City gyud, so through this system mailhan nato who are bonafide residents of the city,” he said, adding that the ID will bear the house number of the card holder.

Canturias said that the ID would also serve as an automated teller machine card of the senior citizens and other beneficiaries.

He said that they are prioritizing the families who have members who are senior citizens and persons with disabilities to qualify in the first 10,000 card holders.

Mayor Michael Rama said that the qualified bene-ficiaries will eventually increase after the imple-mentation of the system.

“Kun naa lay kwarta, why not,” said the mayor. (FREEMAN)