Senator Grace Poe said the government must address the delays in the printing and delivery of the National ID to provide the public a valid proof of identity in one card.
She said the long wait of six months to over a year to get the ID is “unjustifiable.”
The National ID, Poe said, could have been the trusted card used for the speedy distribution of cash aid, fuel vouchers, health benefits, and other basic services that Filipinos desperately need to help tide them over the challenging times.
She noted that the streamlined information in one card would have made public and private transactions less cumbersome and trying.
“As it continues to encourage the public to sign up, the Philippine Statistics Authority must ensure the veracity and accuracy of the data in the card and open avenues for modifications if needed,” she said.
With more than half of the population registered, she said Filipinos have given the program a chance. “It’s high time that the government does its share by delivering the National ID to our citizens without further delay,” she said
