QUEZON CITY -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) today encouraged barangays to support the implementation of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) or the National ID system by actively encouraging their constituents to register in the PhilSys and get a national ID.
“Nasa gitna man tayo ng pandemya, tuloy pa rin ang paghahatid ng serbisyo publiko sa mga mamamayan. Kaya hinihimok ko ang mga punong barangay na makiisa sa adbokasiya ng National ID Campaign, upang mapabilis ang pagpapatala sa ating mga mamamayan, lalo na ang mga nasa kanayunan,” said DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
Año said the PhilID card will be the sole ID that will be required for all transactions in all local government units (LGUs), private entities, banks, and other establishments.
Citing records from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), he said some 1.048-million National ID cards have already been successfully delivered so far in partnership with the Philippine Postal Corporation. Others are still in transit as some 3.036-million ID cards have already been dispatched.
The PSA has reported that there are now 40,388,260 Step 1 registrants (up by 683,777 or 1.7 percent from last week) and for Step 2 (biometrics collection in registration centers), there are now 25,263,851 registrants from 86 provinces and NCR districts (up by 1,514,220 or 6.4 percent from last week).
“Napakaimportante ang pagkakaroon ng national ID lalong-lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya kung saan madalas ginagamit ang ID para sa mga online transactions, pagkuha ng ayuda, pagpapabakuna at marami pang iba,” Año said.
The PhilSys Act, or Republic Act 11055, was signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte to create a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens which will serve as the official government-issued identification document of cardholders dealing with all national government agencies, LGUs, government-owned or controlled corporations, government financial institutions, state universities and colleges, and all private sector entities.
In Memorandum Circular No. 2021-078, Año expressed the Department’s unwavering support to the PSA in implementing the national ID campaign down to the barangay level.
Año urged all punong barangays to share registration-related updates from the Official PhilSys Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PSAPhilSysOfficial) and facilitate barangay roving announcements from the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to keep their constituents informed about the processes of availing the said ID card.
To raise awareness about PhilSys and encourage residents to register, Año said barangays may also distribute electronic and print materials from the PCOO such as audio-video presentations and flyers, or have these materials placed in conspicuous places.
He said the punong barangays and barangay officials can also enlist the help of their Barangay Information Officers in distributing these materials to schools and health centers.
Meanwhile, DILG Spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya said that teens aged 15 to 17 years old and those aged 65 and up may proceed to Step 2 in the registration centers as soon as quarantine restrictions allow.
To register for the national ID, Malaya said residents can either coordinate with their respective municipal/city LGUs for the schedule or go online at https://register.philsys.gov.ph/#/eng.
Malaya, who also serves as the DILG's representative to the PhilSys Policy and Coordination Council (PSPCC), said that PhilSys registration activities are classified as essential government service per Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) Resolution No. 114.
Among the demographic data captured during the personal appearance in Step 2 are full name, sex, date, and place of birth, blood type, permanent address, citizenship, and other optional data such as marital status, mobile number, and e-mail address. Meanwhile, the biometric data gathered include a front-facing photograph, a complete set of fingerprints, and iris scans.
He warned that refusal to accept, acknowledge, or recognize the PhilID or PhilSys Number (PSN) without just and sufficient cause shall merit a harsh penalty of a P500,000 fine or a lifetime ban from holding any public office or employment in the government for government officials and employees. (DILG)
