MANILA – The government is “on track” in its implementation of the National ID system with the release of the first batch of IDs expected late this year, Socioeconomic Planning secretary Ernesto Pernia said Friday.
More Filipinos can avail of the service under the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) once the registration system is established next year, Pernia said in a statement.
The PhilSys Act mandates the government to create a single official identification card for all citizens and foreign residents that would serve as a de facto national identification number.
“We are on-track as regards the roll-out of PhilSys. We hope to open up registration to targeted communities and release the first batch of IDs late this year,” Pernia said.
Procurement, testing, organizational development of the PhilSys Registry Officer (PRO) and the launch of the target registration will be conducted from January to December 2019, under the first phase of the implementation plan adopted by the PhilSys Policy and Coordination Council, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Phase 2, which will run from January to June 2020, entails the development of the core technology infrastructure and the mass registration ecosystem, NEDA said.
In the third phase from July 2020 to June 2022, mass registration of 110 million Filipinos as well as OFWs will be conducted.
Issuance of PhilSys numbers or PSNs to newborns will be conducted during the fourth phase from July to December 2022.
“Having one national ID will strengthen financial inclusion by reducing the cost of transactions through easier authentication procedures. This way, the marginalized will have easier, faster access to public programs,” Pernia said.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the PhilSys Act into law last Aug. 6, 2018. (ABS-CBN News)
