PHILIPPINE SSS TO LAUNCH UNIFIED MULTI-PURPOSE ID SYSTEM

The Philippine Social Security System (SSS) is set to launch its Unified Multi-Purpose ID System (Umid) in January, after a successful bidding held last month, SSS president Romulo Neri said.
Three other government agencies, he said, also formally agreed with SSS to use the Umid as the formal mode of identification to be used for their members transactions.

These are the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philhealth and the Home Mutual Development Fund, more popularly known as the Pag-ibig Fund.

The Bureau of Immigration, Neri said during a visit to Cebu last week, has also expressed its interest in making use of the ID system.

Earlier this year, the Umid was introduced by Neri as the agencys response to Executive Order 420, which directed all government agencies to adopt a unified and multi-purpose identification card.

Neri clarified that this was not a requirement for members, as it was not a national ID.

Initially, the Umid was expected to cost the agencies P250 per card. But through the bidding, Neri said, the SSS got a supplier that could provide cards for P140 per unit.

The bid was awarded to a joint venture composed of Stradcom, All Card and Taiwanese card manufacturer Teco, which submitted the lowest bid of P1.69 billion (US$1.5 billion).

Neri, said 70 per cent of the joint venture agreement was accounted for by All Card, 15 per cent by Teco and the remaining 15 per cent by Stradcom. But technically, the cost for the agencies will be zero since it will be absorbed by the members upon application for the card, Neri said.