EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 700, January 16, 2008

IDENTIFYING THE SOCIAL SECURITY IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AS THE CORE OF THE UNIFIED MULTI-PURPOSE IDENTIFICATION (ID) SYSTEM AND DIRECTING THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM TO IMPLEMENT THE STREAMLINING AND HARMONIZATION OF THE ID SYSTEMS OF ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT-OWNED AND CONTROLLED CORPORATIONS

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 420 dated April 26, 2005 required all government agencies and government-owned or and controlled corporations to streamline and harmonize their identification (ID) systems and authorized the Director-General, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to implement the same;

WHEREAS, some work has been done by the NEDA on the assignment;

WHEREAS, there are twelve million cardholders of the Social Security System;

WHEREAS, in other countries like the United States, the Social Security card is the most used ID system;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA M. ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. The Social Security card shall serve as the core of the unified multi-purpose identification (ID) system.

Section 2. The Administrator, Social Security System (SSS) is hereby mandated to take over the work of the Director-General, National Economic Development Authority to implement the streamlining and harmonization of the ID systems of all government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations towards a unified multi-purpose ID System.

Section 3. The Administrator, SSS shall build on the work already done by the Director-General, NEDA.

Section 4. The NEDA and the National Statistics Office as well as all other agencies identified by the SSS shall assist the SSS in developing the unified multi-purpose ID system.

Section 5. The SSS shall use its funds to carry out the objectives of this Order.

Section 6. All Executive Orders or issuances, or portions thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive Order, are hereby revoked, amended or modified accordingly.

Section 7. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 16th day of January in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand Eight.

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA

Executive Secretary