The government plans to roll out the Philippines national identification program within this year to improve the distribution of relief assistance among the “most vulnerable sectors of society” amid the COVID-19 crisis.
According to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, the proposed second phase of the Bayanihan law will include the government’s programs for social protection and restoration of economic growth.
Nograles said the bill includes financial assistance for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the public transportation sector to help them recover from the impact of the health crisis.
President Rodrigo Duterte had expressed his frustration over the incomplete implementation of the national ID system, two years since it was signed into law. He said that the system could have streamlined the distribution of financial aid among the sectors affected by COVID-19.
