QUEZON CITY -- Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that the majority of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registrants presented alternatives to primary supporting documents.
During registration, registrants are required to present their primary supporting documents to validate their provided information. This includes the PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth, Department of Foreign Affairs- issued Philippine Passport or ePassport, Government Service Insurance System or Social Security-issued Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card (UMID), and Land Transportation Office (LTO)-issued Student’s License Permit or Non-Professional/Professional Driver’s License. In the absence of a primary ID or document, the registrant may show a secondary document.
According to partial numbers from the assisted Step 1 Registration, which began in October 2020, a total of 19,350,639 out of 22,008,136 Filipinos showed secondary identification documents to PhilSys personnel.
The most common secondary ID is the Commission on Elections-issued Voter’s ID, with 2,417,137 registrants opting to present it while School ID comes second, with 1,531,788 registrants using it to validate their basic demographic information.
The third most common identification document presented is the LTO- issued Student’s License Permit or Non-Professional/Professional Driver’s License, with 1,270,966 registrants recorded use. This makes the document the most common primary ID presented during the assisted Step 1 Registration.
Through this data, PSA Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, reiterated the need for a primary and more secure valid proof of identity through the Philippine Identification (PhilID) card.
"This shows that there is a need for a national ID,” he said. “The issuance of PhilIDs ensures that Filipinos have a valid and secure proof of identification that they can use in their transactions in various public and private establishments, making it a viable and secure option for an ID."
Other commonly presented secondary documents include Senior Citizen's ID, PhilHealth ID, Barangay ID, TIN ID, Employee ID, and 4Ps ID.
Should registrants be unable to bring any of their primary IDs, secondary and supporting documents can be presented instead. The list can be accessed at https://www.philsys.gov.ph/supporting-documents/.
For the latest on PhilSys, visit the official PhilSys website (https://philsys.gov.ph) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PSAPhilSysOfficial/). You may also reach the PhilSys Registry Office via hotline number 1388 or e-mail at info@philsys.gov.ph. For the online Step 1 registration, kindly go to https://register.philsys.gov.ph. (PSA)
