At least 66,482,398 Filipinos have completed the Step 2 registration process for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) project as of Wednesday.
The latest data from the Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) showed that 72.3 percent out of 92 million targets, for this year’s PhilSys registration, have provided biometric captures. About 13,859,229 physical Philippine Identification (PhilID) cards have been personalized.
The PhilSys project has also assisted 8,023,495 unbanked Filipinos to open an account with the Landbank of the Philippines for free.
The PSA has generated PhilSys numbers for 27,553,466 registrants with 11,535,098 PhilID cards have been delivered through the PSA courier partner, Philippine Postal Corporation.
Bryan Gatchalian, a farmer, cited the importance of acquiring PhilID.
“Malaking tulong po ang PhilID para sa pangarap ko sa pamilya ko, magagamit ko po ito sa pag-loan at pagbabangko ng pera (PhilID is huge for my family’s dream, I can use it for acquiring loan and saving money),” Gatchalian said.
Registrant Lyka Wael said acquiring PhilID would reduce many requirements for presenting proof of identity when having government transactions.
The PSA earlier launched the PhilSys Check which features a quick response (QR) code system, that enables the relying parties to authenticate the PhilID card and verify the data stored in its QR code.
The PhilSys Check uses public-private key cryptography and primarily aims “to enable a broader transition to digital or online citizen-centric service delivery” by the government and the private sector.
PhilSys promotes greater financial inclusion and unlocking access to basic social services for more Filipinos.
Signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in August 2018, Republic Act 11055 or the PhilSys 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, enrolment 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 the PhilID during transactions.
Source: Philippines News Agency
