THE REGISTRATION for Dabawenyo Unified Citizen Identification Card or DCitizen ID is set to begin in September or October at the latest, and will prioritize senior citizens and the differently abled.
Councilor Bonz Militar, chairperson of the committee on information technology, told reporters that they will prioritize registration of these sectors as they receive subsidies from the government.
“The DCitizen ID will serve as their main IDs, and replace existing IDs, and it will be acknowledged in the national offices,” Militar said during the Aprubado sa Konseho on Tuesday, May 20.
He added that for seniors and PWDs, the City Information Technology Center has already incorporated the National ID, so they can access their benefits using a single card.
For Phase 1, about 160,000 senior citizens and around 20,000 persons with disabilities (PWDs) are expected to be registered.
For the validity, PWDs will have a five-year validity, while seniors will get a lifetime validity.
The ID has a security feature that indicates only the owner is allowed to use the ID to avail government assistance, such as discounts.
“This is not an ordinary ID as it has a security feature that allows us to block the ID if ever it gets lost, so if the finder uses it for their personal interest, it will not be used,” Militar said.
The measure aims to combat the proliferation of fake IDs used in availing discounts in business establishments, which these sectors are often the victims.
Phase 1 of the registration will focus on the vulnerable sectors, followed by residents, and transients. The DCitizen ID will have a validity of five years for adults 18 and above, while transient residents will have a one-year validity.
