ONE ID is enough.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) today said the Philippine Identification (PhilID) card is enough as a single requirement without the need to present any other identification document.
Thus, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año urged all local government units (LGUs), private entities, and the public to use and accept the PhilID card as a single official government-issued identification card for all types of transactions within the country.
He said the use of the PhilID card is a big step in streamlining information and easier transactions in all government offices and private establishments.
“Malaking tulong sa pagpapabilis ng mga proseso ang ating PhilID dahil dati dalawa o higit pang ID ang kailangan para mapatunayan ang iyong pagkakakilanlan. Ngayon, iisang ID na lang ang dala-dala mo at puwede na ito sa kahit anong transaksiyon na mangangailangan ng ID,” he said.
In a memorandum, Año directed all LGUs to accept the PhilID card as sufficient proof of identity without requiring any other additional identification document from the transacting public.
“Ipinapaunawa po natin sa lahat ng tanggapan ng gobyerno at mga pribadong establisimyento, huwag na po kayong maghanap pa ng iba pang ID dahil ang PhilID lamang ay sapat na,” he added.
Around 500,000 national ID cards were printed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and are now being delivered to the first batch of recipients by the Philippine Postal Corporation, the official delivery partner of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). So far, nearly 100,000 registrants have received their IDs.
Per Republic Act (RA) No. 11055 or the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Act, the PhilID card shall serve as the official government-issued identification document of cardholders dealing with all national government agencies (NGAs), LGUs, government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial institutions (GFIs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and all private sector entities.
Año explained that the PhilID comes with the registered person’s information including picture, full name, date of birth, address, sex, marital status, and date of birth to establish the identity of the person. It also comes with PhilSys Card Number (PCN), diffractive optically variable image device (DOVID), QR (Quick Response) code, and PhilSys Number (PSN) Microprint for security purposes.
To ensure authenticity of the PhilID card, Año explained that the plastic card already comes with a 12-digit permanent and irreversible PSN which is microprinted on the back face of a PhilID. This privacy-by-design and security strategy prevents other people and hackers from capturing the PSN of the registered individual.
He advised the registered persons not to use their PSN for any transactions but instead use the 16-digit PCN which is printed prominently on the front face of the said card.
“The PhilID card reduces costs, simplifies transactions, and makes things easier and more convenient. It also improves government services and reduces red tape in government transactions since all pertinent information of the registered person is already consolidated into one system,” Año explained.
Meanwhile, DILG Spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya warned the public that refusal to accept, acknowledge, or recognize the PhilID or PSN without just and sufficient cause shall merit a P500,000 fine.
For government officials and employees, refusing to accept the PhilID card comes with a lifetime ban from holding any public office or employment in the government, including GOCCs and their subsidiaries.
Malaya encouraged the transacting public to get in touch with their respective LGUs or register online at https://register.philsys.gov.ph/ for them to avail of their PhilID cards.
He said that the PSA, which is the lead agency in the PhilID rollout, will also launch digital authentications and Electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) using fingerprint, iris, facial, short message service (SMS)-based One Time Passwords (OTPs) or demographic verification towards the end of this year. These upgrades will soon allow verification of a person’s identity without the need for a physical PhilID using the PCN or other tokens.