Much ado about nothing - NSO

On the national ID system…

APPREHENSIVE about the allegedly “intrusive” national identification system? Well, its too much ado about nothing, opines Jessamyn Anne Alcazaren of the local National Statistics Office (NSO) during the weekly Kapihan sa PIA Thursday, September 14.

The surfaced apprehension could be a fruit of the highly partisan negative publicity the national government's drive for a multi-purpose identification card reaped. The identification card that is to be implemented for all government employees is offered as an option for all interested individuals. It gives one, access to all government transactions and inquiries. This same has so far earned the criticism of anti-administration block as intrusive to one's personal life.

The effort to streamline and unify all government identifications into a single all-access card has also been called a daring move to uproot terrorist activities and trace the movement of suspicious persons. Amidst all of this, the NSO assures that the subject identification card called the unified multi-purpose identification system (UMIS) contains essentially the same data the agency identification card has.

Speaking at a forum broadcast over a Bohol radio station Thursday last week, Alcazaren explained that there is really nothing to worry about adding that her agency is tasked to assign the common reference number (CRN) to the system, now implemented on its second phase. Phase 1, Alcazaren shared is the formal adoption of the CRN into the system, while phase 2 is set aside for data gathering and computer data banking compilation.

Supporting her claim that the identification is harmless, she said the card only contains the usual data which include the name, address, sex, personal photograph, signature, date of birth, place of birth, social status, name of parents, height, weight, index finger print, thumb mark, a common distinguishing mark and one's tax identification number. There is not even any account number there for everyone to be apprehensive, she quipped. The data are also contained in standard agency identification cards, she stressed.

The UMIS now piloted in some areas in the country contains the same data and bears the standard agency format card on the back is now set as a multi-purpose card. By multi-purpose, it means the card can be used as a time card scanned for the office or agency as bondy clock, a debit card just like the electronic automated teller machine (ATM) cards and a common government access card for line inquiries as with Philhealth, Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System and Pag-IBIG funds, the provincial census statistician said. (rachiu/PIA)

NOTHING TO WORRY. Jessamyn Anne Alcazaren of the National Statistics Office explains to the Boholanos at the Kapihan sa PIA, the unified multi-purpose identification system even as the national id system meets stiff opposition from politicians threatened by the administration's move.

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