(Graphics courtesy of PhilSys)
MANILA – More than 10 million Filipinos have already completed the second phase for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Monday that 10,092,022 registrants have completed the collection of biometric information as of May 21, 2021.
The Step 2 process validates supporting documents and capture biometrics (iris and fingerprint scans, front-facing photograph) at local registration centers.
“We owe this milestone to the enthusiasm and support of our citizens to the PhilSys program and the hard work of the PSA Field Offices in making sure that registration operations roll out smoothly and safely in their respective provinces," PSA Philsys Registry Office's Deputy National Statistician, Assistant Secretary Rosalinda Bautista, said in a statement.
Due to the pandemic, the PSA is doing the Step 2 registration gradually and on a small-scale basis.
"We assure everyone that all will have a chance to register, especially when we ramp up our operations by the latter half of the year,” said Bautista.
The appointment system in the second step will give time for the PSA to conduct regular disinfection measures to avoid the spread of the coronavirus within registration centers.
With its goal to achieve financial inclusion for all Filipinos, the PSA also partnered with the Land Bank of the Philippines so that registrants could easily open bank accounts after the second step is done.
The Philippine Identification (PhilID) card with the PhilSys Number will be issued in Step 3. It contains all the records collected and encoded.
As of May 15, over 100,000 PhilID cards have been sent through PHLPost (Philippine Postal Corporation), the PSA's official courier partner.
Signed into law by President Rodrigo 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. (PNA)
