“…the ID program could have additional applications in areas like driver licenses, passports, health insurance, and criminal investigation.”
The President of the Philippines has given the go-ahead to a planned biometric ID program for the country, reports Manila Bulletin.
President Duterte has approved the allocation of 2 billion PHP for the Philippine Statistics Authority to proceed with the project in the government’s proposed budget for 2018. In an address to Congress, Deterte said the planned ID’s use of EMV technology and biometric credentials “will ensure the effective implementation of government services, more specifically social benefits and transfers to entitled individuals.” He added that the ID program could have additional applications in areas like driver licenses, passports, health insurance, and criminal investigation.
The proposed ID program thus echoes India’s Aadhaar, which is currently the most ambitious national ID program in the world. Aadhaar incorporates biometric identification, and is being used for an increasing range of government services and in adjacent applications such as banking.
It remains unclear whether the Philippines’ ID program will integrate biometric data from the country’s Commission on Elections, which has been collecting voters’ biometrics for recent elections.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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July 28, 2017 – by Alex Perala
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