As it is almost 3 years since establishing the PhilSys or Philippines ID system, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reports that around 28 million Pinoys are registered for the National ID System by completing the first step of the procedure as of April.

Part of the first step process is the house-to-house collection of information from low-income households. From there on, the second step of the process involves appointments for the individuals to complete their application process, which includes the validation of supporting documents and authentication of biometrics like fingerprints and iris scans. The heads of low-income households are prioritized for the initiative so that they can improve their financial inclusion and allow their families to enter the country’s formal financial system.

According to PSA, 15 million Filipinos in 81 provinces pre-registered for the first quarter of 2021, while 10.6 million individuals were able to pre-register last year when the PhilSys pre-registration process kicked off in October at 32 provinces.

Should things go as planned, PSA wants to register 50 million Filipinos by the end of 2021. Regardless of the current situation due to the COVID pandemic, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said that they will make all the necessary adjustments to ensure that both registrants and registration staff are safe.

Part of the PSA’s efforts to speed up the application process for the Philippines National ID system is to launch an online portal allowing Filipinos to register without leaving their homes.

Having a National ID has a number of benefits. These include being essential in proving your identity and being an accessible option for those who need a government ID for doing various transactions and applications. As for the latter, the National ID is being seen as a replacement requirement in opening a new bank account; currently, one needs to present at least two valid IDs before being able to open an account.