The Taguig CityCard was created with the Sanguniang Panlungsod’s passage of Ordinance No. 09, Series of 2007 “creating a unified identification card system for the City of Taguig”.

Mayor Tiñga  “to rationalize the delivery of services to the city’s citizenry to make way for the expansion of benefits available to them pursuant to the city’s task in promoting their health, safety and general welfare”. “The Taguig CityCard is intended to create a whole self-contained economic system within the city with the purpose of ensuring that Taguig’s constituents become the primary beneficiary of all social services and economic benefits,” Mayor Tiñga said.

Taguigeños reap the benefits of Citycard

For 56-year old Yolanda Dinong, resident of Upper Bicutan in Taguig, losing her husband Melencio to a terminal illness was painful enough to endure.  After all, her deceased husband was the breadwinner of their family.

But what bothered Aling Yolanda was not the fact that there would be no one to provide for her family’s needs.  What was more pressing was, how she could provide Melencio a proper and decent burial when she could not afford even the cheapest funeral services.

The answer, she later realized, was in her Taguig Citycard.

“Malaking tulong ang Citycard para sa aking namatay na asawa.  Hindi ko po sukat akalain na ang programang ito ay malaking bagay na makakatulong sa aking pamilya, lalung-lalo na sa mga mahihirap na tulad namin na walang kakayahan sa buhay,” Aling Yolanda said.

With the Taguig Citycard, Aling Yolanda didn’t have to worry about basic necrological services for Melencio.  The Taguig City Government, with help from its partners from the private sector, provided for a decent coffin, a bouquet of flowers and funeral services to complete her husband’s burial.

Aling Yolanda is just one of the many Taguig residents who have already begun to realize the useful benefits of the Taguig Citycard.  And more, both benefits and beneficiaries, will come out from this program in the coming months.

The Taguig Citycard is the city’s unified identification card system, which aims to ensure efficient delivery of government services to all Taguig residents, business entities, and city visitors.  More important, the Citycard provides the cardholders various privileges ranging from product and service discounts to life insurance.

Taguig City Mayor Freddie R. Tiñga, lead proponent and major driver of this project, believes that the Citycard is an effective vehicle to bring the city’s growth and development to the grassroots level.

“We need to make our constituents feel the progress and development that our city has experienced these past few years.  With Taguig Citycard, the local government can distribute the city’s economic gains to our constituents through the social benefits that they so rightly deserve,” Tiñga said.

Securing the Taguig Citycard is easy, but it is mandatory that the resident/applicant is a registered voter of Taguig.  An annual fee tentatively priced at P80 is charged to each applicant but for six months, it is being provided for free up to September so that cardholders can test its benefits.

Still on its initial stages, the Taguig Citycard features burial assistance to deceased Citycard holders and their beneficiaries.  The local government has already signed a memorandum of agreement with Rosehills Memorial Management, Inc. to provide for free cremation and funeral services.

Citycard also provides health care benefits, insurance and even priority employment in Taguig-based businesses. To date, many Taguig residents have already testified to the valuable benefits of the Citycard.

“Kami po’y taos-pusong nagpapasalamat sa Citycard, lalung-lalo na kay Mayor Freddie Tiñga dahil sa laki ng naitulong nila sa nangyari sa kapatid ko.  Kasi, talagang wala kaming pera.  Kung wala pong Citycard, hindi po nalibre yung burol ng kapatid ko.  Kaya malaking bagay talaga ang naitulong nito,” said FTI Compound resident Mrs. Analyn Duarte Booc, sister of a deceased Citycard beneficiary.

“Mabilis po ang proseso ng pag-aasikaso ng benepisyo ng Citycard.  Sa karanasan po namin, pina-process na nila kaagad.  Kahit isang tawag lang, aksyon agad.  Ngayon, proven na po namin talaga na totoo ang Citycard,” said Janet Ramos, niece of a deceased Citycard holder from Upper Bicutan.

Tiñga, who is seeking his third term as city mayor, said the benefits of the Taguig Citycard do not end here.  He said the local government is still working with its private-sector partners in exploring other social benefits to be given to Citycard holders. These other privileges include discount on transportation fares, products and services,.

For her part, Aling Yolanda and the rest of Taguig’s less fortunate residents won’t after all need to worry about their social benefits.  They have already been ensured by their local government.  Thanks to Taguig Citycard!