Philippine Statistics Authority CALABARZON

Republic Act No. 11055, otherwise known as the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national identification system for all citizens and resident aliens of the Republic of the Philippines. Signed into law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in August 2018, the valid proof of identity provided by the PhilSys shall be a means of simplifying public and private transactions, and shall be a social and economic platform that promotes seamless social service delivery and strengthening of financial inclusion for both public and private services. As a foundational digital ID system, the PhilSys will transform how services are delivered and accessed in the Philippines, and accelerate our transition to a digital economy, including to enable presenceless, paperless and cashless transactions.

The PhilSys project emphasizes inclusive coverage, enabling access to the most vulnerable groups such as the poor, people living in geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities. Built on a Privacy-by-Design principle, the PhilSys will adopt the latest technologies and innovations in the implementation of the project underscoring the importance of privacy of individuals and security of information under the system.

The PhilSys is envisioned to:

• Making services more accessible. PhilSys will be accessible to all Filipinos and its credential will be accepted for most transactions. It will provide access to financial, social protection, health education and other Government services;
   
• Promoting ease of doing business. It will provide a platform for the Government and private sector to identify and verify their customer in a digital and automated manner both in-person and online transactions;
   
• Enhancing the integrity of services and reducing fraud. PhilSys will uniquely identify each registered person at a national scale with high-level of assurance, eliminate identity fraud and strengthen integrity of functional identification registries;
   
• Enabling and promoting participation and trust in digital government and the digital economy. PhilSys should enable to broader transition to digital, online citizen-centric service delivery by Government and the private sector; and
   
• Empowering Filipinos with greater control over their personal data. The PhilSys will give PSN-holders the ability to determine who sees what data about them when carrying out transactions using the PhilSys, it will contribute to greater transparency and accountability for how data is used in the Philippines.

A foundational digital ID system, like 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.

1. What is the latest update on the implementation of national ID?

The Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Step 2 registration is scheduled to start by January 2021 on a gradual, small-scale basis, following health protocols. Step 2 registration is the validation of supporting documents and capturing of biometric information at registration centers.

2. Why is PSA focusing the registration on the low-income household heads for this year?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing low-income household heads in the registration process aims to enable them, with their national ID, to open bank accounts so that they would be able to receive their government assistance digitally. The goal is to ensure that at least one (1) member of low-income households, who lack identity documentation, has an ID sufficient for opening a bank account.

3. When is the start of the registration for the low-income household heads and how will the PSA facilitate the registration given the current situation?

PSA aims to start the Step 2 Registration for the rest of the prioritized provinces this year. Registration protocols and social distancing measures will be observed to minimize health risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in all registration activities.

4. How about the remaining population? When will they be able to register?

The PSA aims to register 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.  

5. What is the use of the national ID?

The national ID or PhilSys is not just another ID to add to your list of “valid IDs”. Aside from providing a valid proof of identity, the PhilSys is a platform to transform and streamline how services are delivered. The purpose is to establish a single Philippine Identification System for all citizens and resident aliens of the Republic of the Philippines for easier accessibility and application for eligibility to social welfare programs and benefits from the government.

The PhilSys will NOT replace existing functional IDs that serve other purposes. For example, 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.

6. Are there any benefits getting PhilID? e.g., pension for senior citizen, benefits for DSWD beneficiaries and the like?

The PhilID is intended to provide a person with a valid proof of identity. The core function of the PhilSys is identity authentication and any process such as downloading of benefits and identification of beneficiaries for government aids remain fully with the implementing agency.

Click here for more PhilSys FAQs. (rsso04a.psa.gov.ph/philsys/faqs)