Life Update: “ National I’D”

I was busy this morning. The president in our place announced that we should prepare our identification cards and birth certificate that originally from PSA (Philippine Statistics Office) as requirements for the National ID to be collected at the playground. We were happy that the president had initiated the idea. We don’t need to go to their office to spend fare or gasoline. It is a mandatory I’D according to the government. Even a baby should also has it, but when she turns five years old, the picture should be upgraded.

The government employees were hospitable. They were concerned why there were only a few residents that filled in the line. One of them was keeping an eye to every person that passed by, asking if they already have the national I’d. Yet, there were only a fewq residents who don’t have the i’d including my entire family. We grabbed the chance to queue and brought the requirements. Most neighbors in a queue were parents and babies. Maybe they did not have time to visit at their office since they have babies while their husbands were working, like me.

The government employees were bringing laptops, printers, lighting and other unfamiliar devices that track a person’s finger prints and eyes. Background is white of course. Anyone can get an I’D as long as he or she is a Filipino. Infants and toddlers are required also to have it, but only if the parents claimed it already. Parent’s national I’D is their qualification at that age and also their birth certificate that is originally from PSA (Philippine Statistics Office). According to them, if the infant and toddler makes a crime, the parents linked in their national I’D are the one to be traced. If the baby’s parent does have the I’D, the National I’D of a grandma, grandpa, aunt or uncle is acceptable. Their fingerprints are linked to the Baby’s I’D. When a baby turns 5, the I’D should be upgraded.

It was only the three of us who went at the playground. Obviously, there were only a few of us who didn’t have the National I’D. In the picture is my sister-in-law who was disappointed a little bit when the employee asked my little sister’s original copy of birth certificate from PSA. So, she went back to the house to get the original copy. It was me, my sister-in-law and my 14-years old little sister who filled in the line. Yet, my little sister was halted because she only brought her school I’d. My sister-in-law held the recoppied birth certificate of my little sister but they didn’t accept it.

My sister-in-law got the original copy of my little sister’s birth certificate, so it was her turn. She was asked of her basic information such as her age, address and full name. The rest is in the birth certificate. The President in our place was murmuring because there were only a few residents that were there, yet, he was happy that we participated. He was the one that initiated the idea that we were very thankful. The man behind my sister in red teeshirt is our president.

My sister took the telescopic eye scanner. There is a red light inside it where we need to focus on looking. It scans the eye color and shapes to link on our national I’D. It was hard for mommies to calm down their babies when they put it in their eyes because they’re scared, but I’m sure that if only I brought my baby, she’d be happy. She’ll think it’s a toy. She loves exploring new things. Unfortunately, I couldn’t brought her that time because I didn’t have this I’D already. Just like what I said above, the qualification to get your baby a National I’D is a parent’s national I’D.

Our fingers are put on this fingerprint scanner, left and right. It is also recorded to the I’D. On my mother’s experience, she repeated to put her fingers many times because it couldn’t read her fingerprints. We didn’t experience it and that case is rare. Yet, we just laughed at her who worried a lot why it couldn’t read her fingerprints. A few minutes later, it went fine and it was done. Unlike the rest of us in a queue, the device went so smooth and we were finished faster than my mom’s experience. In the picture is my little sister’s hands who didn’t have a problem with the device.

The next step was the picture taking. The lighting is faced on our face to get the best result. Our face is taken different angles. We need to side view left and right and front view of course. We need to smile so that our pictures look better. The issue of the picture in the National I’D went a trending topic when some people complained of their bad looking pictures when this I’D was finally distributed. They laughed at their pictures because it is unedited and it tells the truth. Of course, it’s a National I’D, not the Facebook profile picture that many filters applied. What should we expect? LoL

The National I’D is distributed after a year or more. It is a long wait, but at least we have something to expect that’s coming soon which is an important document. According to the employees, it will be delivered door-to-door. We we’re given a receipt to show if it’ll finally arrive. Banks and other businesses should consider accepting this I’D and won’t ask for more because it is complete, that even our eyes and fingerprints are linked there. I was disappointed before when I heard a rumor that it cannot be used at the banks and other institutions. I hope it’s just a rumor. How about you, do you have this I’D? Did you wait that long to get it? Can you use it everywhere?

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Thank you amazing friends @olivia08, @diosarich and @antonette.Thank you @justinparke for your kindness and delegation. Thank you @asean.hive for your unfading support. Love love all the way!