Good news for everyone! If you still haven’t been able to receive your physical copy of the National ID, you can soon get a printable and digital copy to keep on your smartphones soon. Read on to find out more.

According to an interview by PTV with PhilSys Registry Officer-in-charge Engr. Fred Sollesta, the downloadable format of the ePhilID will be released next month. 

“Maybe this December, we could launch na the downloadable ePhilID para naman ito sa mga mamamayan na may access sa internet, may mga devices na magstore ng digital na version, ng PDF format ng ePhilID,” he said.

To claim your ePhilID, you only need to book an appointment through the PhilSys website and enter your 29-digit reference number which can be found on your National ID transaction slip. After this, Sollesta has said that a one-time PIN (OTP) will be sent to your registered phone number to prove legitimacy.

Sollesta stated, “Etong ila-launch na downloadable version, ito ay para sa mga kababayan na nagbigay ng cell number nila. Kasi yung process namin diyan ay magpapadala ng OTP sa number na binigay nila sa step 2 registration.”

As of November 24, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that they were already able to print and issue a total of around 3.6 million ePhilIDs. 

The printed ePhilIDs and digital copies are as good as the physical plastic card IDs. 

The PSA stated that “the printed ePhilID will be honored in transactions as a valid and sufficient proof of identity and age, subject to authentication in all national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial institutions (GFIs), financial institutions, and private sector”.

PSA Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa shared that “every registered person will receive their physical card even if they have already claimed their printed ePhilID.”