PhilPost ID card may soon be printed locally

THE PRINTING of the postal identification card may soon be done in the city, thus cutting the time in getting the ID card.
Elmer Obelihdon Sr., Philippines Postal Corporation marketing specialist for Eastern Mindanao, said the usual processing time for the IDs usually runs for more than two weeks up to a month, as the printing is done in the center office in Manila.
Obelihdon said having a printer here in the region will significantly lessen the waiting time to 6 days at the most.
“We submitted our request for our own printer last month, and currently waiting on it,” Obelihdon said at yesterday’s weekly Kapehan sa SM forum with media.
He said all requests for ID cards from Mindanao provinces and cities will soon be printed here in Davao.
The new and improved postal ID project is in partnership with Filmetrics Corporation, which is in charge of the production, biometrics and marketing of the new IDs, which have new features like a bar code and a quick-request (QR) code, which when scanned with devices like a mobile phone, contains the personal details of the owner.
“If the card details don’t show in the scan, then it’s a fake,” added Obelihdon.
According to representatives from Filmetrics, 6,000 IDs have been issued in the region as of April.
Meanwhile, Philpost along with Filmetrics will hold a mobile registration caravan for the new IDs at SM City along Ecoland from June 19- 23, then on July 26– 30.
Obelidhon added that Philpost will also deliver the IDs to your home address, unlike other government offices where you have to come back to claim the ID.
“The reason for this is we also want to determine if the address you provided is correct,” he added.
Requirements for registration are among the following: birth certificate, barangay clearance, driver’s license, SSS, TIN, or other certifications “confirming your birth and address,” said Obelidhon.
Obelidhon added PhilPost in the region is also in the process of fixing their “mail roads”, or routes for their parcel delivery trucks, to synchronize with mail arriving from the airport.
“We want to be competitive with the private Express Mail businesses,” he said, and is eyeing to open routes outside of Davao up to Digos city.
He said the usual practice is to only cover Davao City, but added they want to expand coverage to at least 50 kilometers outside of the city.
“These express mail businesses only have limited areas for delivery, our edge as a government office is we are obligated to deliver in every part of the country,” said Obelidhon.