Govt aims to list 92-M Pinoys in Natl ID system by year-end

THE national government aims to register 92 million of the country’s population in the National ID system by year-end, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said this would include some 31.3 million Filipinos who are set to receive their physical IDS by the end of 2022.

As of February 4, Mapa said some 54.956 million Filipinos have already completed Step 1 and 2 of the National ID. Step 1 is the provision of demographic information, while Step 2 is the provision of biometric data.

“We are targeting 92 million by the end of 2022 for demographic and biometric registration. We are about 55 million as of February 4,” Mapa told the Businessmirror on Tuesday.

“For card distribution, we are targeting 31.3 million physical cards delivered. We will also introduce mobile ID by the end of Q1 [first quarter] 2022 to increase registrants with access to National ID [physical or mobile],” he added.

Latest data showed 6.304 million Filipinos have already received their National ID cards and 7.351 million have opened bank accounts with the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank).

Unbanked Filipinos registering to the National ID can open Landbank accounts during Step 2 when they submit their biometric information, which includes fingerprinting and iris scans.

As of December 11, 2021, the PSA has registered 50.014 million Filipinos to the demographic and biometric data collection, exceeding its target.

Step 2 Registration, which involves validating supporting documents and collecting biometric information such as iris scans, fingerprints, and frontfacing photographs, began in January 2021 in 32 priority provinces that were considered low-risk areas for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The three-step Philsys registration process began in October 2020, which prioritized low-income households in 32 priority provinces. As part of the Philsys Step 1 Registration, Philsys registration team conducted houseto-house collection of the registrants’ demographic information amid the extended quarantine protocols.

The nationwide collection of registrants’ demographic information was also made possible with the launch of the online Philsys registration site in April 2021. The PSA gradually expanded its Step 2 Registration operations as more Filipinos realize the benefits of having a national ID.

It also established partnerships with local government units, other government agencies, and private institutions to bring the registration experience closer to more Filipinos.