The key to a lot of adult stuff, I learned as a fresh graduate, was a valid ID.
Though you’d need a valid ID to get most of them (confusing, I know. Wish someone told me that), there are a lot of IDs we can apply for, the latest being Quezon City’s ID system for QC residents.
On Jan. 7, the Quezon City government launched the QCitizen ID, which aims to integrate the senior citizen, solo parent, and persons with disability cards into one, plus provide social services like healthcare and in-city transportation.
According to City Administrator Mike Alimurung, the QCitizen ID will “provide better services to citizens and allocate resources more efficiently,” including the identification of priority recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine.
QC residents with valid government IDs or a barangay certificate are eligible to apply for the QCitizen ID. Applicants will need to register individually through QC’s online portal, which then provides them a QCitizen ID number and a digital ID that can be accessed using the QCitizen App. Applicants aged 15 and above can get their own physical card for free.
The QCitizen ID card registration is done online while existing government IDs require the cardholder to be physically present to input their biometrics and signature. So get ready for a long process, though getting easier access to the COVID-19 vaccine may be worth all that trouble.
The ID promises a lot of convenience: accessing the city’s bus augmentation program, merging three IDs into one, and of course, streamlining vaccine distribution. While that’s all dandy, it serves the same purpose as other government IDs: verifying a person’s identity.
While a laudable initiative, implementing another ID system requires a sizeable budget for maintaining the online portal, the mobile app, and the production of the physical cards. Hopefully, the services that this city-wide ID provides would make it a worthwhile investment.
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Photo from Quezon City government’s Facebook page