(File Photo from the DICT)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan Uy bared the agency’s plan to digitalize the national identification (ID) in light of the delays in the issuance of physical cards.
The plan was brought up after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the DICT to implement measure that will address the public concern who are indefinitely waiting to receive the print copies of their national IDs.
Uy said, the DICT initially conceptualized the deployment of national digital IDs that can be easily stored and accessed on mobile devices.
“Sa loob po ng ilang buwan, we will do our best to be able to deploy the digital ID system. Ang importante lang po dito is malinis po iyong data na ibibigay sa amin ng PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority),” said Uy, explaining the need to establish a secure a DICT-PSA linkup system to safely and seamlessly migrate the data containing the identities to a digital platform.
Meanwhile, to expedite the process of deployment, the DICT expressed its commitment to work closely with the PSA in ensuring that the captured data will neither be corrupted nor incomplete.
To date, the PSA insofar captured around 80 million identities in its database for the adoption and reference of the DICT.
The digital Philippine ID will essentially allow Filipinos to process transactions with the government, particularly those that are integrated in the e-GOV PH Super APP or the one-stop shop platform for the online services of national government agencies and local government units.
In an effort to further streamline the process of government services, the DICT will directly connect the national digital ID credentials of users to the said application to enable them the access to different services without the need to re-verify their identity after every transaction.
Among the services that can be availed using the national digital ID include the social amelioration packages and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as well as the fuel subsidy program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
It can be recalled that the PSA launched the ePhilID or the electronic version of the national ID which serves the same purpose for Filipinos who are already registered in the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).
However, there are establishments that still refuse to honor the validity of the ePhilID as a proof of identity which makes it difficult to use. The PSA later issued an advisory encouraging the public to report institutions that will not accept the said ID.
The DICT Chief, on the other hand, stressed the strong initiative of the agency to efficiently track down the scammers and cyber criminals who are preying on vulnerable victims in the boundless online space.
However, Secretary Uy noted that additional funds are needed to finance the development of new systems given how the perpetrators have become technologically inclined.
“We need all the resources possible and all the tools possible in order to go after them. Itong mga cyber criminals po are very well-funded, very well-organized and very highly technical. So dapat tapatan po natin ito ng kaukulang kakayahan sa gobyerno na makahabol sa kanila at nakatali po ang ating mga kamay kung wala po tayong proper tools in order to go after them,” Uy explained. (PCO/PIA-NCR)
