State Affairs

Philippine National ID: What, why, and how?

In August 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Republic Act No. 11055, otherwise known as the Philippine Identification System Act (PhilSys Act), which mandates the government to create a single identification card for all citizens and resident aliens of the Philippines.

The law intends to speed up the delivery of government services and lessen cases of fraudulent transactions. It also aims to eliminate the need for multiple forms of identification when transacting with the government and the private sector, such as banks that usually require two valid IDs to open an account.

Initially, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) started a mass registration in October last year which was exclusive among low-income Filipinos in 664 cities and municipalities in 32 provinces which are identified as low-risk areas for COVID 19. They were prioritized because most of these Filipinos don’t have bank accounts as they don’t have enough documents as proof of their identity.

The PSA conducted house-to-house visits to collect demographic data of their targeted nine million registrants that are composed of at least five million low-income household heads. But if you were not included in the mass registration and you wish to register for the PhilSys ID, don’t worry because the PSA opened the registration for all Filipinos and resident aliens last April!

You may do so by following these steps:

Step 1:  Register on the PhilSys ID online portal, encode your personal information such as date and place of birth, blood type, address, contact details, etc. and schedule an appointment.

Step 2: Show up on your scheduled appointment to validate yoursupporting documents and have your biometrics taken which includes fingerprint scanning, iris scanning, and front-facing photographs.

Image Source: @pinas_city | Twitter

Step 3: Wait for your physical ID to be delivered to your preferred address. It’s that simple!

Image Source: PSA Philippine Identification System | Facebook

Remember that the PhilSys ID is free of charge. The government can only charge fees if an individual will ask for a replacement. So be wary of fixers or any individuals who would ask you for payments or any extra costs.

Apart from going digital, PSA also partnered with various malls in the country and signed a memorandum of agreement with Robinsons Corporation and SM Supermalls to make the registration even more accessible. Registration sites will be set up in various Robinsons and SM malls for Filipinos to conveniently sign up.

Moreover, PSA also tied up with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Philippine Postal Corporation for the printing and door-to-door delivery of the PhilSys IDs.  As of June 14, PhilPost reported around 200,000 registrants have already received their PhilSys ID.

Having your own PhilSys ID will be of great help in registering for other government services and opening accounts in private establishments. So go ahead, register, schedule an appointment, and say goodbye to two IDs requirements for identity validation! You may visit the PSA PhilSys Facebook page to check the registration sites near you. 

Read also

admin

Recent Posts

EmpowHER: Building a better workplace for women at Capital One Philippines

Capital One Philippines is committed to inspiring inclusion to the next level by investing in…

3 weeks ago

Driving holistic health in the IT-BPM industry

Last Tuesday’s IBPAP C-Suite Forum, titled “Drivers of Holistic Health: Extending Value-Based Care to the…

1 month ago

IBPAP proud of IT-BPM companies named in PH best workplaces list

The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) announced several of its members…

1 month ago

Global authority in workplace culture reveals top 35 best workplaces in the Philippines

The global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work, revealed its 5th annual Best…

2 months ago

Spending a weekend in Singapore (Taylor’s Version)

Out of all the times I’ve visited The Lion City, this was the shortest yet…

2 months ago

DSWD looking to upscale FDS to help eradicate tuberculosis

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recognized the potential of the Family Development…

2 months ago