PILAR, Bataan — The Philippine Statistics Authority on Friday announced the temporary closure of three of 13 registration centers in Bataan for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).
PSA Bataan chief Francisco Corpuz said the three centers closed from June 16 to June 30, 2021 were in the towns of Mariveles, Hermosa, and Samal.
He said the closure was upon request of Mayors Jocelyn Castañeda of Mariveles, Jophet Inton of Hermosa, and Aida Macalinao of Samal following the decision placing Bataan under the modified enhanced community quarantine.
President Duterte has approved the recommendation of the national Inter-Agency Task Force removing Bataan out of the modified general community quarantine status and back to MECQ due to the spike in Covid-19 cases.
Corpuz said they respect the decision of the local executives who are more knowledgeable as to the true situation concerning the pandemic in their respective municipalities.
PSA statistical specialist Richard Guevara said PhilSys registration continued in Dinalupihan, Orani, Abucay, Balanga City, Pilar, Orion, Limay, Bagac, and Morong and at the fixed registration center in the second floor of The Bunker at the Bataan Capitol.
Guevara said the mayors in these areas gave instructions to strictly observe safety protocols and restrict entry in the centers of persons 17 years old and below and over 65 years old.
The centers are attending to registrants under Step 2 where biometric information such as fingerprints, iris scan and front-facing photograph are undertaken. They have passed Step 1 that involves the collection of demographic information.
Corpuz said that despite the delays caused by the closure of some registration centers due to the Covid- 19 threat, they still stick to their target of registering 600,000 individuals in Bataan before the year ends.
