FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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7 JUL -3 P?:.?k 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 
877 
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Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
EXPLANATORYNOTE 
The government is in a continuing quest to search for fast-approaches 
to solve problems of bureaucratic procedures. Red tape has been the focus of 
complaints of many who queue in government offices. It is not surprising 
therefore, that a number of treatises on public administration validated the 
impressions imprinted in the minds of common civilians anent the 
inefficiency plaguing the governmental workforce as well as the leadership 
itself. 
The problem accounts as a primary reason for the failure of bringing 
governmental effort closer to the people. And just like us, other countries are 
on the look out to experiment on innovative approaches to solve red tape. But 
the experiences of such countries as Germany, Japan, Indonesia, South 
Africa and Malaysia provide examples in addressing the said bureaucratic 
system through the ID System. In these countries, government transactions 
are easily facilitated and immediately responded to with the use of ID. 
This bill seeks to establish an effective system to curb the perennial 
problems of red tape in the bureaucracy and to simplify the process relative 
to public and private transactions of citizens. It is also aimed at preserving 
national security by institutionalizing an effective system of monitoring the 
movement and activities of citizens so that investigation and prosecution of 
criminal acts as well as civil liabilities could be more easily facilitated. 
Early approval of this bill is earnestly requested. 
% 
EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
Senator 


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I
 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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First Regular Session 
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r .hi 
1 7 
JUL, -3 ? J .  
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM 
IN THE PHILIPPINES, CONSTITUTING FOR THE PURPOSE THE 
NATIONAL REGISTRATION COORDINATING COUNCIL, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as "The National 
Multi-Purpose ID Card Act of 2007." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared a policy of 
the State to improve and uplift public service in the country, by promoting 
and facilitating legitimate transactions with Government offices as well as 
with private and business entities. For this purpose, there is a need to 
establish an effective system to curb the perennial problem of red tape in the 
bureaucracy and to simplify the processes relative to public and private 
transactions. 
It is likewise an imperative policy to strengthen citizenship, 
immigration and national security laws. 
The implementation of a National Identification System in this regard, 
with full protection accorded to the right to privacy of the individuals covered 
thereby, and with the full cooperation and active participation of various 
basic services and social security- providing agencies and other Government 
instrumentalities, will contribute to the attainment of the foregoing 
declaration of policy. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - The following terms as used in 
this Act shall mean: 
(a) "ID Card" - The national identification card issued by a 
participating agency in the implementation of the National 
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Identification System, the features and uses of which are as 
indicated in this Act and as to be determined by the Council; 
provided, that the ID Card shall be used only by the Owner in 
order to avail of the services defined in this Act; provided, further, 
that the ID Card shall not be used to store data on the Owner more 
than is necessary and material as required in this Act; 
(b) 'TD Number" - The Primary Reference Number determined by the 
National Statistics Office and issued to every citizen of the 
Philippines; or the number issued by the Bureau of Immigration to 
every foreign national who applies for an Alien Certificate of 
Registration pursuant to Republic Act No. 562 (1950), as amended; 
(c) "Council" - The National Registration Coordinating Council 
constituted under this Act; 
(d) "NSO" - The National Statistics Office created pursuant to 
Commonwealth Act No. 591 (1940), as amended; 
(e) "System" - The National Identification System established and 
authorized for implementation pursuant to this Act; 
(0 "Owner" - The only authorized holder, possessor and user of the ID 
Card; 
(g) "Data" - The personal and other circumstances of the person to 
whom was issued a National Identification Card, all of which are 
encoded in said ID Card, and kept in the records of the 
participating agencies; 
(h) "Use" - The authorized functional use of the ID Card pursuant to 
this Act and as may be hereafter prescribed by the Council; 
(i) "Participating Agency" - A branch, agency, subdivision or 
instrumentality of the Government of the Republic of the 
Philippines, accredited by the Council to implement the National 
Identification System. 
SECTION 4. The National Identification System. - A National 
Identification System is hereby established and instituted, to provide official 
identification of all citizens of the Republic of the Philippines, and all foreign 
nationals permanently residing in the Philippines, through the issuance of a 
National Identification Card with ID Number of a permanent character, to 
convert and consolidate all existing Government-initiated identification 
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systems intended for various purposes into one, integrated and multi-purpose 
system. 
SECTION 5. Issuance of Primary ID Number. - All citizens of the 
Republic of the Philippines, upon registration of birth or upon their 
acquisition of Philippine citizenship, shall be issued by the NSO a Primary 
Reference Number, which shall serve as the identification number. The 
Primary Reference Number shall reflect only the basic data on the Owner of 
the ID. Card Such Primary Reference Number issued to a citizen shall not be 
transferable to another, and shall remain hidher number regardless of any 
change in hidher status, residence or other personal circumstances. For this 
purpose, the NSO shall, in the determination of the Primary Reference 
Number, devise a system of issuing such numbers with due regard to the 
immutability of such number in relation to the person to whom it was issued. 
All such citizens born before the effectivity of this Act, or who acquired 
Philippine citizenship before the effectivity of this Act, shall secure their 
Primary Reference Number from the NSO. 
SECTION 6. Issuance of Subsidiary ID Numbers. - The 
participating agencies in the System may issue subsidiary numbers to the 
Primary ID Number issued under Section 5 hereof, with due regard to the 
requirements of such agencies and under such conditions as the Council shall 
prescribe. 
SECTION 7. Citizens of Other Countries. - Citizens of other 
countries permanently residing in the Philippines shall likewise be assigned 
an ID Number and issued an ID Card at reasonable cost in the manner 
prescribed by the Bureau of Immigration; provided, that the assignment of an 
ID Number and issuance of the corresponding ID Card shall be done not later 
than the date of issuance of the Alien Certificate of Registration issued 
pursuant to Republic Act No. 562 (1950), as amended. 
An accredited official of a recognized international organization, or of a 
foreign government with whom the Republic of the Philippines has 
established diplomatic relations, and members of hidher family and official 
staff, who are not citizens of the Philippines, shall not be required to secure 
an ID Number or the ID Card contemplated under this Act. 
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SECTION 8. Issuance of the ID Card. - All persons qualified under 
Section 4 and Section 5, respectively, hereof shall be issued by any of the 
participating agencies a National Identification Card not earlier than at the 
age of sixteen (16) years, free of charge and in the manner prescribed by the 
Council; provided, that in case a participating agency requires the issuance of 
an ID Card for those transacting business with it who may be younger than 
sixteen (16) years old, such agency shall do so under such conditions as the 
Council shall prescribe. 
SECTION 9. Features of the ID Card. - The National Identification 
Card shall be made of a tamper-proof security material. It shall have on its 
face the ID Number, the imprinted photograph, name, birth date, date of 
issue, signature of the Owner, and such other material and necessary data as 
may be required by the Council and the participating agencies. 
The Council shall likewise establish the standards in the use of 
biometric technology and in computer application designs of the System. 
SECTION 10. Validity of the ID Card. - The ID Card shall be valid 
effective upon its issuance by the participating agency, and for as long as the 
material of which it is made permits its usage, unless sooner cancelled upon 
the death of the Owner, or surrendered by the Owner, or revoked, cancelled 
or recalled by the participating agency for good cause shown. 
The ID Card may be replaced during its validity period, upon written 
application by the owner of the ID Card, to reflect the changed circumstances 
of the Owner. 
SECTION 11. Issuance of Replacement Card. - A new ID Card 
which replaces a lost, worn-out or destroyed card, or upon written application 
by the Owner, shall be issued by a participating agency in the manner to be 
prescribed by the Council. 
SECTION 12. Safeguards. - The Council and the participating 
agencies shall take appropriate and necessary measures to ensure that the 
privacy, confidentiality, integrity and accuracy of an individual's personal 
data are protected from unwarranted and unauthorized access. Such 
safeguards shall, as a minimum, include the following: 
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(a) The Council and the participating agencies shall limit the number 
of persons who can have access to the data on the ID Card; 
(b) The ID Card will be protected by advanced security features and 
cryptographic technology; 
(c) The Council shall ensure that only minimal, material and necessary 
data to the Owner and to the participating agency issuing the ID 
Card shall be recorded and stored in the ID Card; 
(d) There will be a stringent system of access control, including 
passwords or personal identification numbers; different levels of 
access; and, audit trails; 
(e) The Owner of the ID Card shall be provided with the means to 
access, print and interpret the data on hidher card and the 
application of such data; 
(f) Any correction of relevant data stored in the ID Card shall be 
effected only upon a written request by the Owner of the ID Card, 
under such conditions as the participating agency issuing the ID 
Card shall prescribe; and 
(g)All data included in the database shall be kept and treated as 
strictly confidential, and shall not be accessed or disclosed except 
upon written authorization of the Owner and in accordance with 
the requirements of Section 22 and Section 23, respectively, of this 
Act. 
SECTION 13. Nan,-transferability. - The ID number issued 
pursuant to this Act is unique to the Owner of the ID Card. Both the ID 
Number and the ID Card are non-transferable, and shall not be assigned to 
any other individual even after the death of its owner. For this purpose, the 
participating agency shall devise a system of retiring ID numbers no longer 
in use on account of death of the owners or for other reasons. 
SECTION 14. Limitation on Data to be Stored. - The right to 
privacy of the Owner of the ID Card is paramount, and shall be respected by 
the Council and the participating agencies in the implementation of the 
System. For this purpose, only such data personal to the Owner of the ID 
Card and which are material and necessary to carry out the functional uses of 
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the ID Card as enumerated in Section 14 hereof shall be stored in the ID 
Card. 
SECTION 15. Functional Uses of the Card. - The National 
Identification Card shall serve as the only official identification of the person 
to whom it is issued and shall be valid and accepted for all legal intents and 
purposes, which shall include, but hall not be limited to, the following: 
(a) Availment of SSS and GSIS benefits; 
(b) Application for driver’s license, passport, marriage license, and 
business permits; 
(c) Issuance of death certificate; 
(d) Application for clearances, licenses and permits from investigative 
and police agencies; 
(e) Availment of services in health and medical institutions; 
(0 Application for employment; 
(g) Availment of benefits under Republic Act No. 7432 (“The Senior 
Citizens Law”); 
(h) Pre-requisite for registration as a voter, and for the exercise of the 
right to vote; 
(i) Payment of taxes, fees and other charges; 
(i) Opening of bank accounts; 
(k) Encashment of checks; 
(1) Applications for loans, credit cards, and utilities; 
(m) 
Purchase of stocks; 
(n) Insurance claims; 
(0) Receipts of payments, checks, valuables, etcetera; and 
(p) Claiming mail matters. 
Other functional uses of the ID Card shall be determined by the 
Council. 
SECTION 16. Absence of10 Curd. - Failure of any person to present 
hislher ID Card when transacting business with the Government or with 
private entities requiring the use and presentation of the ID Card shall not 
be a ground to deny or limit himlher of the basic Government and private 
services as long as helshe is qualified under existing laws. 
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SECTION 17. National Registration Coordinating Council. - The 
National Registration Coordinating Council is hereby constituted, which 
shall be a collegial body, consisting of permanent representatives of various 
government agencies with direct involvement in the development and 
implementation of the System, to be appointed by their respective heads, 
including, but not limited to the Commission on Elections, the Department of 
Foreign Affairs, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the 
Department of National Defense, the Bureau of Immigration, the National 
Statistics Office, the Land Transportation Office, the Bureau of Internal 
Revenue, the Social Security System, the Government Service Insurance 
System, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. 
The Council shall be assisted by a Secretariat, headed by an officer in 
the NSO not lower in rank than a Director 111, and with all the participating 
agencies in the System represented therein. 
The Administrator of the NSO shall serve as permanent chairman of 
the Council. 
SECTION 18. Powers and Functions of the Council. - The Council 
shall exercise the following powers and functions: 
(a) To issue, adopt and prescribe implementing rules and regulations 
for the effective implementation of this Act; 
(b) To design the ID Card to be issued by the participating agencies, 
incorporating therein the basic features of the ID Card and the 
safeguards for its issuance and uses as indicated in this Act; 
(c) To adopt all measures to maintain the privacy and security of all 
personal information maintained or kept by the participating 
agencies and all private entities or institutions with existing 
databases or registries of individuals, to prevent their unauthorized 
disclosure and ensure the confidentiality and proper management 
of these personal data; 
(d) To adopt rules and regulations for the registration of persons, 
entities or institutions handling registries or databases of personal 
data of individuals, and determine which personal information 
being obtained, kept or maintained should be deemed confidential; 
(e) Without prejudice to Section 19 hereof, to entertain, initiate, motu 
proprio or at the instance of the Owner of the ID Card, and endorse 
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to the Department of Justice any complaint for the criminal 
prosecution of persons for any violation of the provisions of this Act; 
(f) To adopt all measures to ensure the security, integrity and 
authenticity of all ID Cards issued under the System; 
(8) To conduct or hold extensive public information campaign on the 
System in coordination with the Philippine Information Agency; 
(h)To submit to Congress a written report of its operations and 
activities within sixty (60) days after the opening of every regular 
session; and 
(i) To perform such other functions necessary to effectively implement 
the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 19. Assistance. - The Council shall call upon all branches, 
agencies, subdivisions and instrumentalities of Government to assist and 
cooperate with the Council in the effective implementation of the provisions 
of this Act. 
SECTION 20. Enforcement by the Participating Agencies. - All 
participating agencies shall have the power and authority to effectively 
enforce the provisions of this Act. 
In addition to their powers under their respective charters and under 
the Code of 1987 (Executive Order No. 292), the participating agencies shall 
have the power to issue cease and desist orders to prevent fraud or injury to 
individuals whose rights to privacy may be violated with the collection and 
use of personal data or information about him/her pursuant to the 
implementation of this Act. 
SECTION 21. Prohibited Acts; Penalties. - The penalty of 
imprisonment from six (6) months and one (1) day to six (6) years shall be 
imposed upon any offender found guilty of the following acts or omissions: 
(a) The willful submission, or causing to be submitted, of a fictitious 
name and other false data in the application form for a National 
Identification Card; 
(b) The unauthorized printing, preparation or issuance of a National 
Identification Card: 
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(c) The falsification, mutilation, alteration of, or tampering with, the 
National Identification Card; 
(d) The unauthorized use of a National Identification Card by any 
person other than the one to whom the card was issued; and 
(e) The possession of a fake, falsified or altered National Identification 
Card. 
SECTION 22. Refusal to Accept. - Any person who shall willfully 
and unjustifiably refuse to accept, acknowledge and/ or recognize the 
National Identification Card as the only official identification of the Owner 
thereof shall be liable to a penalty of a fine of not more than Twenty 
Thousand Pesos 
(Php20,000.00), at the discretion of the Court, for the first offense. Any 
subsequent violation shall be punishable by a fine of not less than Fifty 
Thousand Pesos (Php50,000.00) but not more than One Hundred Thousand 
Pesos (Php100,000.00), at the discretion of the Court. 
SECTION 23. Confidentiality. - Without prejudice under existing 
laws applicable to the participating agencies, the records, reports and 
documents duly accomplished and submitted to a participating agency by the 
Owner of the ID Card, and any such records, reports and documents encoded 
in the database of the participating agency and/or reflected in the ID Card, 
shall be kept and treated as strictly confidential. They shall not be divulged 
without the written consent of the Owner or pursuant to a lawful Court order 
upon a prior endorsement by the participating agency, and shall be presumed 
correct as to the data and other matters stated therein, unless the necessary 
corrections to such records, reports and documents have been properly made 
upon written authorization by the Owner. 
SECTION 24. Disclosure. - Any person who shall willfully use or 
disclose data or information furnished by the Owner of the ID Card, without 
written authorization from the latter, or except by a lawful Court order upon 
a prior endorsement by the participating agency, or as may be authorized by 
law, shall be liable to a penalty of a fine of not more than Fifty Thousand 
Pesos (Php50,OOO.OO) or imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or 
both, at the discretion of the Court. 
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SECTION 25. Congressional Oversight Committee. - There is 
hereby created for purposes of the implementation of this Act a congressional 
oversight committee composed of five (5) members from the Senate 
designated by the Senate President and five (5) members from the House of 
Representatives designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives: 
Provided, That of the five (5) members to be designated by each house of 
Congress, three (3) of them shall come from the majority and the remaining 
two (2) from the minority. 
SECTION 26. Appropriation. - The amount of Twenty Million Pesos 
(Php20,000,000.00) i s  hereby appropriated out of funds of the National 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, as operating funds of the Council and 
for it to undertake the information campaign required under this Act. 
Thereafter, such funds sufficient to fully carry out the purposes of this Act 
shall be appropriated for the Council and every participating agency every 
fiscal year in the General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 27. Transitory Provisions. - Within three (3) months from 
its full constitution and activation, the Council shall adopt a staggered 
program of implementation of the System as to coverage, with due regard to 
the existing identification projects of participating agencies, to realize 
economies of scale. 
The Council shall, within the same period, coordinate with other 
Government agencies that issue similar identification numbers for varied 
purposes, in order to integrate all such systems in the National Identification 
System. 
SECTION 28. Information Campaign. - Within six (6) months from 
the effectivity of this Act, the Council shall undertake an extensive campaign 
program to explain the implementation of the National Identification System 
to all citizens and resident aliens in the country. 
SECTION 29. Implementing Rules. - The Council shall, not later 
than sixty (60) days from its full constitution, promulgate the Implementing 
Rules of this Act. Such Rules shall be effective fifteen (15) days from their 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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circulation. 
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Approved, 
SECTION 30. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, 
orders, rules or regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this 
Act are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 31. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen 
(15) days after its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general 
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