PSA to open PhilSys registration to general public in 2021

FILE: Sample of the front design of the PhilSyS/Philippine Identification Document (ID) card. (Photo By Philippine Statistics Office – Philippine Information Agency, Public Domain)

MANILA – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is set to open the registration for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) to the general public beginning this year.

PSA, in a recent social media post, said it is yet to announce the exact date on the start of the PhilSys registration process for the general public as it targets at least 70 million Filipinos signed up by the end of 2021.

“The PSA aims to register the majority of the Filipinos by the end of 2022 and will open the registration to the general public in 2021. Further announcements on this will be made to ensure that the public is informed and ready for the line-up of registration activities of the PhilSys,” it said.

Initial mass registration rollout

The PhilSys has initially rolled out the mass registration to targeted low-income Filipinos in 664 cities and municipalities in 32 provinces identified as “low-risk” areas for the coronavirus, which began on Oct. 12, 2020.

Due to the health crisis, PSA implemented the Philsys project in a three-step approach to protect the registration team and target registrants against the risks of infection.

Step 1 of the registration involves the collection of the registrant’s information including full name, gender, date, and place of birth, blood type, and address.

The PSA conducted simultaneous house-to-house visits to collect demographic data of targeted nine million individuals composed of at least five million low-income household heads, while the rest are adult household members.

Step 2 involves setting up an appointment for the biometrics capture that includes fingerprint, iris scan, and front-facing photograph.

Step 3, meanwhile, is the issuance of a physical ID card stored with a 12-digit PhilSys number or personal serial number (PSN) and a 16-digit PhilSys card number (PCN).

The PSN and PCN will be generated after the validation process to avoid duplication of registration entries.

PhilSys’ goal

The PSA is eyeing to make social services more accessible to Filipinos through PhilSys.

It said the Philippine identification (PhilID) or the National ID could be used in most government and private banking transactions.

National ID holders would be provided access to financial, social protection, health education, and other government services.

PSA said PhilSys could also promote ease of doing business.

It added that PhilSys will help uniquely identify each registered person at a national scale with a high level of assurance, eliminate identity fraud, and strengthen the integrity of functional identification registries.

PhilSys, PSA said, should enable to broader transition to digital, online citizen-centric services delivered by government and the private sector.

It is also eyed to contribute to the “greater transparency and accountability” of carrying out social services and other transactions.

PSA said a foundational digital ID system such as PhilSys will contribute to nation-building.

“It will enable the Philippines to move away from inefficient and expensive physical documents, processes, and credentials to the use of digital equivalents,” it added.

PhilSys is free

PSA Assistant Secretary Rosalinda Bautista earlier said acquiring the national ID would be free for all Filipinos.

The PSA earlier warned the public against scammers posing as PSA employees who facilitate registration for the PhilSys.

These scammers are targeting victims by illegally issuing PhilID card.

They also charged their supposed clients with service fees for processing the PhilSys registration.

PSA, meanwhile, emphasized that the registration under PhilSys is free of charge.

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.