LEGAZPI CITY – The Philippine Statistics Authority in Albay (PSA-Albay) has urged more Albayanos to register for the Philippine Identification (PhilID).
Cross Doreh Lee, PSA-Albay spokesperson, said they target to register 543,588 persons in the province this year, but so far, only about 3.56% of the target has been accomplished.
“As per data, we already have 19,137 registrants who already have their biometrics and demographic data with us. This is equivalent to 3.56% of our target in Albay,” she said in an interview.
Lee said a total of 120,977 PhilIDs have been delivered to the recipients so far. Asked why there are delays in receiving the IDs, Lee said the IDs undergo thorough verification before printing, apart from other factors.
“The delivery also prioritized those who underwent step 1 registration or the house-to-house registration of the low-income families. Some IDs were returned to the office because, when they were delivered, the supposed ID owners were not living in the address mentioned. Other addresses could not also be located and some recipients were already dead,” she added.
Lee explained that due to the pandemic, residents from distant barangays also found it difficult to travel to PhilSys Registration Centers. To address the issue, she said PhilSys registration teams hold mobile registration in barangays to reach more applicants.
Some of the PhilSys Registration Centers in Albay that accept registrants Mondays to Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., are at the Camalig Gymnasium, Camalig; Daraga MSWDO, 3rd Floor, Daraga Public Market, Daraga; Arandurungan Hall, Guinobatan; Libon Business Institutional and Recreational Center, Libon; Ligao City Tuburan Barangay Hall; Biazon Hall, 2nd Floor, Oas Municipal Building; Polangui ABC Hall; Tabaco City Mall, 3rd Floor, Divino Rostro.
In Legazpi City, registrants may go to the Embarcadero de Legazpi from Monday to Thursday; SM City Legazpi, 3rd Floor; Pacific Mall, 3rd Floor; and PSA Building, Regional Government Center in Rawis.
Signed into law by President Duterte in August 2018, R.A. 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens.
The national ID will be a valid proof of identity and serve as a means to simplify public and private transactions, enrollment in schools, and opening of bank accounts, among others.
It will also boost efficiency, especially in dealing with government services where people will only need to present one ID during transactions. (With a report from Glydel Sarcia/PNA-OJT)
