PRRD’s PhilSys registration fuels motivation for Pinoys
PNA | January 31, 2021
After President Rodrigo Duterte registered himself on the Philippine Identification System (Philsys) on
January 21, more Filipinos expressed enthusiasm to sign up for the national ID.
“I could not wait any longer to be registered. I want to get a national ID so I could easily access
government assistance,” said 48-year-old Ramonito Reales, who is working as a messenger of a real-
estate company and is based in Matina Pangi, Davao City, in the vernacular.
When asked how he learned about the benefits of PhilSys, he said he saw and read about it on social
media.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has earlier clarified that registration for the general public has
yet to start as low-income households have been prioritized.
PSA made the clarification as queries flooded their office as to when they could register, after photos of
Duterte undergoing the registration made rounds on social media.
PSA-11 regional director Ruben Abaro earlier announced that the PhilSys registration in Davao Region
resumed on January 18.
He, however, clarified that the registration is limited to ensure minimum health protocols are strictly
observed to protect registrants and PhilSys enumerators.
Reales, for his part, expressed hope that he will be included in the list of low-income families who are
currently the priority sector for the PhilSys registration.
“Hope I will be included so I can easily avail of government assistance,” he said in the vernacular.
House-to-house visits
Abaro said PSA data collectors are conducting house-to-house visits to inform heads of households on
the necessary documents for registration like birth certificate, passport, senior citizen IDs and driver’s
license, among others.
PSA, in its website, said it will come up with an announcement for the registration of the general public
this year.
”Due announcements will be made by the PSA for the registration of the general public this year, as low-
income households have been prioritized since the beginning of PhilSys registration last year,” PSA said.
Meanwhile, PSA clarified that the national ID “will not replace existing functional IDs that serve other
purposes.”
PSA said a passport is a travel document and a driving license is proof that someone can drive.
“Functional IDs such as these will remain the responsibility of the issuing government agencies,” PSA
said.
PhilSys aims to register majority of Filipinos by end of 2022 and assures registration of the general public
this year.
Signed into law by 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.
Asec. Rosalinda Bautista
Deputy National Statistician
Philippine Statistics Authority
3-step process:
Step 1 – House to house for priority registrants to collect demographic information
Schedule will be given for step 2
Step 2 – Capture of biometrics in local PSA office, actual registration
Step 3 – Issuance of Philsys Card
10.5M Filipinos in 32 provinces already completed step 1
Low income families from DSWD list
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Now, in 2021, another step 1 including all provinces
Last January, biometric capture has been started in Laguna
200 registrants captured biometrics
System is not completely system
Committed to complete 50-70M Filipinos registered
OFWs will also be registered, as long as Filipino citizens
There will be pilot registration for OFWs in 2021
Actual registration will be on 2022
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Once issued, Philsys number is lifetime
Card can be authenticated online or offline
Information can be updated such as change of residence
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Will be printed by BSP
Philpost will get the cards from PSA and will be delivered to the owner
If the owner is not available, there will be someone authorized to receive
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Passport is a primary document that can be used for applying for national id
National ID can be used as a requirement for a passport
About security, it is complex when it comes to protection of privacy
Not only PSA but other government agencies are making sure that there will be no leak of data
There is a continuous privacy impact assessment
Not even PSA employees can see the data
All information are encrypted
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Once you’re a Filipino, there will be no expiration for the PhilSys number itself
But there is updating
For a foreigner residing in the Philippines, there is a validity period
Dual citizens in abroad, it’s a permanent number
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It’s just a foundational ID
Contains basic information only
Other agencies to have access, no information to be registered in the PhilSys
The purpose is validation of identity but it will not store transactions and financial data, Pag-Ibig
loans, PhilHealth records from hospitalization case, etc.
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It will be for free, there will be budget from Government
It’s under the new law that government agencies should honor the PhilSys
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Internet is necessary for online authentication
When there’s no internet, there can be no online authentication
Even in the capturing of information, internet has been a challenge to PSA
In areas with good connectivity, data can be instantly uploaded
In areas where no connectivity, we have to wait where there is internet for data to be uploaded
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Basic information only will be stored
We can’t use it as a driver’s license and LTO information will not be stored
For purposes of enrolment, board exam, no need for birth certificates, certification as senior
citizen, financial inclusion for easy opening of bank accounts
Land bank has committed to open bank accounts for low income families through PhilSys
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PSA is not in charge about the inclusion of phone numbers and tie up with telecom companies
But national ID may be required for future issuance of SIM
The centralization of medical records is up to PhilHealth
National ID is for validation of identity only
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PhilSys ID will not eliminate other government IDs
It will only be an additional card in the wallet
However, what is eliminated is the need for other government IDs for the purpose of
IDENTIFICATION only but not for specific transaction in specific government agencies
National ID captures 10 finger-prints versus 4 of UMID
In the future, there might be a possibility that other government agencies may no longer issue
separate cards
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