300,000 Makatizen cards by year end

Makati City is targeting to distribute some 300,000 unified identification cards that will grant qualified recipients easier access to online government services.

“To date, the registration of city government employees and eligible Makati-based national government workers is well underway. We have also started to roll out the Makatizen Universal Card System to the city’s 33 barangays with the goal of registering around 300,000 residents by the end of the year,” said Mayor Abigail Binay during the 5th Regional Competitiveness Summit and Awards Ceremony held at the Philippine International Convention Center.

The Makatizen card is a comprehensive universal card system offering residents, students and city government employess expanded and improved access to government service.

It is a public partnership between Makati City and G-xchange and iBayad Online Ventures, Inc.

The card allows recipients to receive cash allowances, stipends, and other cash benefits, including those provided under the Makati Health Program (Yellow Card), Senior Citizens program (Blu Card), PWD card and Solo Parent Card among others.

“Aside from making day-to-day tasks much more convenient for Makatizens, the project also allows greater transparency in the implementation of the city’s various social welfare programs, thereby ensuring that the right people receive the right benefits in the most efficient way,” the Mayor explained.

The Makatizen Card can also be used to pay fees and taxes, personal remittances and other financial transactions.

The magnetic strip contains vital information about bearer: his address, gender, blood type, as well as emergency contact numbers.

It is also equipped with a NearField Communication feature which will allow city offices equipped with iBayad machine readers to verify the identity of residents and employees with a single tap.