Aboitiz still interested in National ID program

THE Aboitiz group said it remains interested in taking part in the National Identification (ID) system, despite the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) rejection of its unsolicited proposal earlier this month.

“We are very interested in the National ID program, we will have to check when the terms of reference are released, to see if it makes sense for us to participate,” Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC) VicePresident

Jose Emmanuel P. Reverente said in an interview on the sidelines of the Philippines Investment Forum in Makati last week.

The PSA said earlier this month that it will opt for a competitive bidding for the Philippine identification system, which will help the government manage the timeline for procuring and awarding the system by year end.

A consortium led by AIC and Ayala Corp.’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. submitted an unsolicited proposal for the design and development of the national ID system last August.

Under the proposal, the consortium said it will be spending P15 billion to develop the infrastructure for the national ID system. The group tapped global information technology firm Unisys Philippines to provide the security software and services, and digital transformation and workplace services, among others.

The proposed concession period was for 17 years, at which time the consortium promised to “develop and implement an expedient and comprehensive solution that will provide a safe and secure identification and benefits payment mechanism for individuals transacting with government.”

Mr. Reverente said they will still partner with AC Infrastructure and Unisys should they participate in the competitive bidding process.

The proposal to develop the country’s national ID system is in line with Republic Act No. 11055, otherwise known as the Philippine Identification System Act (PhilSys). The entire PhilSys project will require P30 billion over the next five years.

PhilSys will collect the full name, sex, date and place of birth, blood type, and address of all Filipino citizens. The system will also specify whether a person is a Filipino or resident alien.

The PSA targets to hold the pilot run for the PhilSys registration on March 2019, later than its initial goal of enrolling one million Filipinos by December. The government will prioritize poor residents, specifically senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and those receiving cash transfers.

Registered residents will be assigned a 12-digit PhilSys number that will serve as their digital identity across multiple platforms.

Starting September next year, the PSA targets to provide national IDs to 25 million residents every year until 2021.