MANILA -- Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua invited the youth to register for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) and contribute solutions to accelerate the growth of digital economy in the country.

“Ang ating karanasan sa gitna ng pandemya ay nagbigay-diin sa kahalagahan ng ligtas, mabisa, at inklusibong banking at social services, lalo na para sa mga mahihirap. […] Bago matapos ang taong 2021, target natin na mai-rehistro ang 50 to 70 million Filipinos sa PhilSys. Ito ay magbibigay-daan para sa malawakang paggamit ng electronic payments na magpapalago sa ating digital economy,” Chua said during the 2021 BSP Youth Summit organized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with the theme “Ibangon natin ang ekonomiya, i-digital mo na!” on July 9, 2021.

[“The COVID-19 pandemic and other recent crises experienced by the country underscored the need to provide unhampered access to banking and social services for all Filipinos, especially the poor. […] By the end of the year, we hope to register 50 to 70 million Filipinos with the PhilSys. We envision PhilSys to spark the widespread use of electronic payments, thus accelerating growth of the digital economy,” Chua said.]

Chua also emphasized that PhilSys has the potential to be one of the most game-changing reforms of the country, as it can drastically improve the delivery of government services and make systems more resilient against future crises.

“Lubos akong naniniwala sa potensyal ng PhilSys na maging isa sa mga pinaka-makabuluhang reporma sa ating bansa. Pangmatagalan at malawakan ang benepisyo nito dahil kaya nitong paghusayin ang serbisyong-publiko at pagtibayin ang ating sistema laban sa mga darating na krisis na maaari pa nating harapin,” Chua said.  

With this, he invited the youth to register and assist their family and friends, especially their elders, in registering for the national ID online. He also encouraged the participants to consider joining the government to implement their ideas on financial inclusion and digital transformation.

As of July 2, 2021, around 37.2 million individuals have been registered for step 1 or the demographic data collection. Some 16.2 million individuals have also completed their step 2 registration or biometrics capture, and around 4.4 million have applied for bank accounts. Moreover, 343,742 registrants have received their PhilID cards.

For the latest information on PhilSys, visit the official website or Facebook page. To register for PhilSys online, proceed to the step 1 registration page. You may also reach the PhilSys Registry Office via hotline number 1388 or e-mail at info@philsys.gov.ph. (NEDA)