BSP, PSA told: Ensure continuous issuance of nat’l IDs

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) should ensure the continuous printing and release of national IDs amid the legal challenges with a private supplier, Senator Grace Poe said.

Poe said around 116 million IDs were supposed to be printed since the national ID program started in 2021, but only 67 million have been issued so far.

On August 15, the BSP issued a termination notice to AllCard Inc., the private firm it contracted to print the IDs, due to the latter’s “failure to deliver any or all of the goods specified in the contract.”

But, a Quezon City Regional Trial Court last week ordered a stop to the contract’s termination.

“Dapat talaga ay magsabi ng totoo ang Central Bank kung ano ba talaga ang naging problema dito. Totoo ba yung sinasabi nila na hindi ito subcontracted. Malinaw naman na mayroong ibang gumawa,” said Poe.

“Tuloy-tuloy na rin sana yung printing ng ating IDs. Matagal na itong hinihintay ng ating mga kababayan, at pondo ng taumbayan ang nakataya rito,” she added.

The senator also urged the Central Bank to clarify reports that it contracted a firm in Madras, India, for the ID printing.IMT