PSA sees 50 M nat’l IDs issued this year

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is optimistic of hitting its target of issuing 50 million physical and digital national ID cards this year, citing continued increase in cards being dispatched for delivery.

In a statement yesterday, the PSA said there was a consistent increase in Philippine Identification (PhilID) cards dispatched to the post office for delivery during the third quarter of the year.

In particular, PhilIDs dispatched by the PSA and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) grew from 1.86 million in July to 2.24 million in August and climbed further to 2.53 million in September.

“We thank the BSP for its tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to ensure that card production and printing is at full speed ahead. With this sustained increase, we are confident that we will achieve our goal to issue 50 million PhilIDs, physical and digital, by the end of the year,” PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said.

Of the 50 million target this year, 30 million are physical ID cards, while 20 million are digital versions of the PhilID.

As of Oct. 28, the PSA issued 23,248,689 PhilIDs for delivery or 77.2 percent of the 30.1 million target this year.

The PSA said it continues to work with the BSP in finding more ways to further expedite and increase the volume of PhilID production and printing such as improving data flow.

In a separate statement, the PSA said 74,778,024 Filipinos have been registered for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) as of Nov.7, which is 80.9 percent of the 92 million target for the year.

The PSA cited the support of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government units (LGUs) in the implementation of the PhilSys, particularly in mobile registration.

Through mobile registration, the PSA was able to bring the PhilSys registration closer to Filipinos in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, as well as to members of indigenous cultural communities or indigenous people, senior citizens, and persons with disability.

Last month, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular 2022-127, instructing LGUs to assist in mobile registration activities “as a strategy to cover the remaining unregistered population.”

Under the memorandum circular, LGUs are encouraged to provide support for the mobile registration by issuing clearances for the conduct of mobile registration and lending backup service vehicles for the deployment of registration teams, kits and portable generators in areas with an intermittent supply of electricity.

LGUs will also identify locations as well as ensure overall security and safety of mobile registration operations.

The DILG has instructed LGUs to waive fees for barangay clearance of indigent persons.