LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Regional Statistical Services Office 1 (PSA-RSSO1) informs the public that the printable Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID or ePhilID is “as good as the card version of the national ID.”
According to Lawyer Sheila De Guzman, regional director of PSA-RSSO1, the PSA is issuing the ePhilIDs for those who have not yet received the plastic copy of their national ID cards for them to use temporarily.
“Ang ePhilID iyon ang printable at ang PhilID ay ‘yong card version naman ng national ID. Gusto kong i-emphasize na walang difference ang dalawang ito, ang uses ay the same lang dahil pwede silang ma-authenticate na dalawa. Hindi ito masasabing papel lang, dahil pareho ang gamit ng ePhilID sa physical na card,” she explained.
According to PSA, the ePhilID shall be accepted as an official government-issued identification document in transactions in all national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), government-owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and private sectors.
Cardholders may present the ePhilID as a valid proof of identity and age in their transactions with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Finance, Philippine Post Office, Government Service Insurance System, PhilHealth, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Land Transportation Office, Supreme Court, and transactions in LGUs.
De Guzman added that if there are private or public institutions that will not accept the ePhilID as valid proof of age and identity, the cardholder must report this to PSA through their offices, the PSA website, PhilSys Facebook page, as well as the PSA regional offices’ Facebook page so proper action can be taken.
Moreover, she encouraged those who have registered for the PhilSys who have not yet received their national ID cards to visit their respective PSA registration center to request for their ePhilIDs.
In Ilocos Norte, the fixed PSA registration center is on the second floor of the IT Bar Building, Barangay 1 in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.
Based on the latest data from PSA Region 1 for April 2023, in the province of Ilocos Norte, about 30,802 ePhilIDs have been issued.
Of this number, 12,476 have been printed; and 4,070 have been delivered.
Similar to the plastic card copy of the national ID, the printed ePhilID contains the cardholder’s PhilSys Card Number (PCN), full name, date and place of birth, sex, address, blood type, marital status, a front-facing photograph, and a quick response (QR) code.
The QR code is used to verify the authenticity of the ePhilID and the information of the cardholder. (JCR/AMB/EJFG, PIA Ilocos Norte)
