PSA reports additional 1.5-M registrants for national ID system

MANILA – Some 1.5 million adult Filipinos from low-income families have been registered to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) after the program was expanded nationwide starting January 18 this year.

In a virtual briefing on Thursday, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the additional registrants were included in the list during the first six days of the expanded registration program.

Mapa said when the national ID program was rolled out last year, it only covered 32 provinces wherein some 10.5 million Filipinos from low-income households were registered.

He said Step 2 of the registration process, which involves the capturing of biometric information, has begun in six provinces – Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Bataan, Zambales, and Rizal.

“In the coming weeks, this will be expanded further to the 32 provinces that started (registration) last year,” Mapa added.

The government targets the national ID to be the foundational ID in the country as it aims to increase financial inclusion among Filipinos, among others.

Among the priority for the initial batch of registrants are the beneficiaries of the government’s cash aid program.

Mapa said the PSA is “ready” for the program and targets to register 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year.

“Our registration process is ongoing and we are capturing more Filipinos into the national ID,” he added.

Signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in August 2018, Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens.

The national ID shall be a valid proof of identity that shall be a means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrollment in schools, and the opening of bank accounts.

It will also boost efficiency, especially in dealing with government services where people will only need to present one ID during transactions.