Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel has urged his colleagues to investigate the backlog of national ID cards.
His proposed Senate Resolution No. 1192 called for a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Philippine Identification System Act, seeking to address delays in the issuance of Philippine Identification (PhilID) cards.
Pimentel stressed the need to develop and execute a catch-up plan to resolve the backlog.
As of August 2, 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority has recorded over 89 million registrations under the PhilSys system but has distributed only about 53 million physical PhilID cards.
The backlog of 32 million cards is largely due to the limited capacity of printing facilities, the senator from Cagayan De Oro said.
“The Philippine Identification System was designed to simplify and expedite the delivery of public services, but these delays undermine its purpose,” said Pimentel.
“The root causes of the delays must be uncovered to prevent further disruptions,” he also said.IMT
