Government-Recognized Printers (GRPs) are now preparing to print the national identification cards after President Duterte signed into law in August the bill that established a national ID system in the Philippines.
A former Defense official said only government-recognized printers may print the national identification cards, as the data needed may have a bearing on national security, said lawyer Ric Blancaflor, former director general of the Intellectual Property Office.
Blancaflor pointed out that the national ID involves data security that must be protected from misuse and identity theft.
GRPs are under strict government control, and should facilitate the printing of the national ID so as not to compromise the highly-secure data of over 100 million Filipino people, said Blancaflor who also served as national Defense undersecretary during the Arroyo administration,
There are currently three GRPs in the country: the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the National Printing Office, and the APO Printing Unit.
“These printers have their own government-to-government system that are already existing. These GOCCs are highly-reliable in handling public data compared to other private entities,” he said.
Currently, the BSP is primarily tasked with the printing of Philippine currency; NPO prints election ballots for the Commission on Elections and other forms for government agencies; while APO prints Philippine passports issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“Government-to-government or agency-to-agency transactions should be a seamless option to weave together policies, processes, protocols, and work culture. They have the capability to collate, integrate, and harmonize data from different agencies of the government,” he pointed out.
Because of the national security dimension, Blancaflor said the lead integrator must be a government agency or a GOCC.
He pointed out these GRPs have actual experience in preparing government products, and have the proven capability to run softwares that can absorb and analyze massive amounts of information. Blancaflor said the three GRPs are at par with private printers. (PR)
