MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte and his Cabinet have approved additional funding to register 20 million more people to the national ID system next year, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

The Duterte Cabinet, which met last Monday, approved "the P3.52-billion additional budget for 2021 to register 20 million more individuals (on top of the 50 million target) to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys)," said the President's spokesman Harry Roque.

Duterte in 2018 signed into law the PhilSys Act that mandated the government to create a single official identification card for all citizens and foreign residents that would serve as a de facto national identification number.

The ID aims to boost efficient public service delivery, enhance administrative governance, reduce corruption, curtail bureaucratic red tape, promote ease of doing business, and strengthen financial inclusion.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is mandated to lead the ID system, with support from a policy board chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority and composed of various government agencies.

• Rehistrado para sa National ID, nasa 7.5 milyon na
• The only ID you will ever need? What to know about the National ID System

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv