SSS to issue new IDs

MANILA, Philippines - The Social Security System (SSS) is expected to roll out a new government identification card in the first half of the year.

SSS president and chief executive officer Emilio de Quiros Jr. said they are rushing the release of the new ID cards so as not to further cause undue inconvenience to members.

“We are already working on that,” De Quiros said.

He said the project was started during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and is just being carried out by the Aquino administration.

The SSS suspended its ID production last April 2010 after its card printing machines, which were acquired back in 1998, broke down.

“The SSS has stopped producing ID cards since April 2010 as the intention is to replace the old SSS ID with the Unified Multi-Purpose ID or UMID,” De Quiros explained.

The cards will be rolled out in partnership with the Philippine Postal Corp., the Government Service Insurance System and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

“We are finalizing preparations for the implementation of a new SSS ID system to upgrade the old one. We expect SSS ID production to resume on April 2011,” De Quiros said.

SSS has authorized PhilPost to enroll SSS members under the UMID through data capture stations that the postal service agency will set up all over the country.

Under the agreement, PhilPost will capture biometric data such as fingerprints, facial image and signature for the issuance of ID cards under the nationwide system.

PhilPost will set up the data capture workstations at SSS branches and postal offices nationwide.

The government said UMID aims to reduce costs to the public by doing away with multiple ID cards and redundant databases. The SSS was tasked as lead implementing agency due to its experience in managing a large-scale biometric ID system.

The UMID card will enable SSS members to get payments for pensions, loans and benefits through PhilPost’s nationwide network of about 2,200 post offices, more than half of which also function as money transfer offices at present.

The shift to the UMID upgrades the present SSS ID system, which has been using the same card technology since it was introduced over a decade ago.