Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

241
HOUSE BILL NO. __* *>

INTRODUCED BY CONGRESSMAN PEDRO P. ROMUALDO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill proposes to provide a “Filipino ID” for our citizenry. At present, there are a lot
of government agencies issuing identification cards such as the SSS, GSIS, PRC, LTO
and others. However, an estimated 60% of our citizens of legal age do not have a valid
identification card which can show proof of their identity when dealing with government
agencies and private institutions.

Even, the banking industry is requiring at least three (3) valid identification cards for
persons transacting with the banks. Airlines and shipping companies require their
passengers to show a valid I.D. before they are allowed entry to their premises. Most of
our constituents who are working in the underground economy, underemployed
unemployed, out of school youths, members of the older sector, fishermen and farmers
neither hold valid identification cards nor a community tax certificate. They cannot
afford to secure a postal i.d. or even apply for a regular passport, which are considered
valid id’s by almost all establishments.

It is the intent of this bill to solve the ILD. problems of our citizenry through this
proposed measure. This is a lifetime ID. which will be proudly used by the citizens in
various transactions mentioned in the bill. We can truly say that we can be proud of our
identity as a nation and as a Filipino people with this “Filipino LD.”.

‘This identification card will be issued free and the pertinent data can be updated every
five (5) years by the holder. It will be issued by the National Statistics Office which is the
repository of our official civil registry documents and can attest to the citizenship of a
person through his or her birth records.

nt, the National Statistics Office has completed the data conversion of all birth
e tom 1945-2000. With its conversion, the search and retrieval of the documents
will be automated and will result to faster service. We can use this facility to check the
citizenship of the applicant through their records.

hoped that with the combined experience and expertise of the National Statistics

Office of the Civil Registrar General, Department of Foreign Affairs, Social
Security System, Government Service Insurance System, Philippine Postal Corporation,
National Bureau of Investigation, Land Transportation Office, Bureau of Internal
Revenue and Philippine Regulations Commission in issuing identification cards it can
provide a harmonious scheme to implement this by crafting the implementing rules and
regulations that will be consistent with the spirit and true intent of this proposed
measure.



‘The funding requirements as to the printing equipment, its supplies and the unit that
will handle the processing of the Citizen's ILD. are also provided in this proposed
measure to successfully implement the provisions of this law.

Early approval of this bill is hereby sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILENO. 24 1

INTRODUCED BY CONGRESSMAN PEDRO P. ROMUALDO

ee

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A FILIPINO IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES,

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the
Philippines in Session assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Filipino Identification
m Act.”

3. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to promote our unique
as a people and provide adequate opportunities for its citizen. To achieve this, a

no Identification System is hereby established that will determine our nationality
and personal identity. It also aims to improve public administration service and good
governance as such all citizens are encouraged to get their Citizen's 1.D. which they can
use in their daily private and public transactions.

SEC. 3. Role and Functions of the Office of the Civil Registrar General. ~ The
Citizen’s I.D. will be administered by the National Statistics Office through the Office of
the Civil Registrar General which is hereby mandated to determine, validate and issue
certificates of citizenship to all Filipino citizens based on the official civil registry
documents on their record.

‘The Office of the Civil Registrar General shall create a special unit which will be
responsible for:
a) accepting all the applications from the city and municipal civil registrars
offices and from walk-in clients;
b) handling the issuance of the Citizen's ID. ; and
c) releasing and mailing of the I.D. to the applicant.

SEC. 4. Who May File the Application and Where. - All Filipino citizens who
have reached the age of majority shall be required to secure a Citizen’s Identification
card as provided for in this Act.

Those above 18 years old at the time of the effectivity of this Act shall file their
respective application within four (4) years from the date of issuance of the
implementing guidelines of this Act.

For persons with disabilities and older persons, the Office of the Civil Registrar
General and its respective regional, district and municipal offices shall provide a special
desk for their applications and may accept applications made through their duly
authorized representatives or next of kin.


Existing identification cardholders of SSS, GSIS, PRC License, Driver's License,
Passport and ‘Tax identification number, Postal 1D. or NBI Clearance shall file a
separate application consolidating all the information on their Citizen ID.

All applications shall be filed before the Municipal or City Civil Registrar or with
the National Statistics Office under the Office of the Civil Registrar General.

Duly accomplished applications will be forwarded to the Office of the Office of the
Civil Registrar General within fifteen (15) days from receipt thereof. The Office of the
Civil Registrar General shall thereafter release the Citizen Id by mail service not later
than sixty (60) days from the date of receipt of said applications from the Municipal or
City Registrar's Office .

SEC. 5. Features of the Citizen’s I.D. - The citizen’s ID shall contain the personal
circumstances of the bearer and such information as may be deemed appropriate by the
implementing agency. For applicants with pre-existing government issued identification
cards, it must include important details which can be handily used as reference in their
various public and private transactions.

Each identification cardholder shall be assigned a permanent number which
shall be non-transferable and valid till the lifetime of the holder.

The Citizen’s LD. shall be tamper-proof using available modern security
technology in the market.

‘The application and issuance of the Citizen's LD. shall be free of charge to the
applicant as part of the government social service responsibility to its citizenry.

SEC. 6. When Required to be Presented. - The citizen’s ID card Act shall only be
required to be presented in the following transactions or performs the following acts:

a) Acknowledges any document before a Notary Public;

b) Takes an Oath of Office upon election or appointment to any position
in the government service;

Applies for and receives any license, certificate or permit from any

public authori

d) Applies for a passport from the Department of Foreign Affairs;

e) Registering at the Commission on Elections;

f) Applies a Security-Coded Birth Certificate with the National Statistics
Office;

) Pays any tax or fee and receives any money from any public fund;

h) Enters into any other transaction with a government or private agency;

©

SEC. 7. Safeguards on the Citizen I.D. - The Office of the Civil Registrar General
as repository of the data and issuing authority of the tamper-proof citizen I.D. shall
institute the necessary measures to safeguard the information otherwise adequate
sanctions will be imposed to those who violate the provisions of this Act.

No such information shall be released to any agency, office or instrumentality,
government or otherwise, nor shall the same be used against any person, without lawful
order of the court. Any information secured in violation of the immediately preceding
prohibition shalll be inadmissible in evidence in any proceeding and for any purpose.

Provided, however, that for purposes of ascertaining the authenticity of the
Citizen's LD. , the Office of the Civil Registrar General can issue a Certificate to attest to
the issuance of such I.D. stating the name of the person and its corresponding control
number. =


SEC. 8. Penalty Clause. - Any person who knowingly uses false information in
applying for the issuance of a citizen ID or procures a card through fraud or who utilizes
the card in an unlawful manner, shall be punished with a fine of not less than Five
thousand pesos (P\5,000.00) but not more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P\
500,000.00) or an imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than one
(a) year, or both fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court.

Any public official or employee who connives with the offender in committing the
acts mentioned in the preceding paragraph, or, on his own, causes the issuance of an
Identification card or approves the application for the same, despite the knowledge of
the existence of fraud or false information, shall suffer the corresponding penalties
imposed in the preceding paragraph and shall also be dismissed from government
service,

‘The penalties in this Section shall be imposed in addition to those provided for
acts and omissions punished by existing penal and other laws.

SEC. 9. Appropriation The amount necessary for the creation of the special
unit under the Office of the Civil Registrar General including personnel salaries and
benefits will be included in the regular appropriations of this agency for the succeeding,
year after the approval of this Act.

For the consultation requirements and advertising of this Act and_ its
implementing rules and regulations, the Office of the Civil Registrar General can utilize
five (5%) of their regular income from operations for this purpose.

‘The appropriation requirements for the Citizen's I.D. printing equipment and
supplies as well as maintenance requirement shall be taken from the income of the
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation as approved by the Department of
Budget and Management.

SEC. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The Office of the Civil
‘ar General in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Social
ystem, the Government Service Insurance System, National Bureau of
n, Land Transportation Office, Professional Regulations Commission,
Bureau of Internal Revenue and Philippine Postal Service shall draft the implementing
guidelines of this Act. It shall also draft the design and safeguards for the Citizen’s I.D.
which will truly depict our identity as a citizen of the Philippines.

The Office of the Civil Registrar General shall invite pertinent groups to assist
them in the drafting of the rules and regulations.

The implementing guidelines shall become effective and in full force only after
simultaneous publication in three (3) national newspapers of general circulation and in
one (1) local daily newspaper in each province.

SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations which
are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately after its official
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,