Philippine national identity card

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Philippine National ID
PSA PhilSys logo.png
National ID system logo
Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) card sample.png
Sample photo of the front design of the ID.
TypeIdentity document
Issued by Philippines
First issuedPilot implementation:
2019 (selected regions)
Full implementation:
2020 (5-year implementation)[1][2]
PurposeProvide valid proof of identification for all citizens and resident aliens.[3]
EligibilityAll ages; Philippine citizenship or permanent residency for non-citizens
ExpirationNo expiration; 1 year and annually renewable for resident aliens
CostN/A (Free of charge)

The Philippine Identification System ID (PhilSys ID), also known as the Philippine Identification Card (PhilID; Filipino: Pambansang Pagkakakilanlan), is the official national identity card for Filipino citizens worldwide and foreign permanent residents in the Philippines. The document is a significant part of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), the national identification system to be implemented by the Philippine government.

The Philippine Identification System Act (Republic Act No. 11055), the legislation which seeks to implement this system, was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 6, 2018.[4][5]

Proponents of the measure meant the system to ease government and private transactions while leftist critics of such proposals have deemed it a potential tool to violate privacy.

History[]

Main article: Philippine Identification System Act
President Rodrigo Duterte shows a copy of the PhilSys Act after signing it during a ceremony at Malacañang Palace on August 6, 2018.

A national identification system for the Philippines was proposed as early as the 1990s, particularly during administration of then-President Fidel V. Ramos. However previous efforts to legislate the system has failed due to concerns in privacy and lack of support from the Congress.[6]

Panfilo Lacson began to lobby for the establishment of such system when he was elected as Senator in 2001. During the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte the proposed national identification system had progress in the legislature.[6]

In mid-2016, Quezon City Representative Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Senator Antonio Trillanes filed House of Representative Bill No. 12 and Senate Bill No. 95 for an identification system for Filipino citizens residing in the Philippines and abroad. Belmonte claims at the time of filing that the Philippines is one of the only nine countries in the world without a national identification system.[7]

Senator Manny Pacquiao has also filed similar measures.[8]

The framework for a Philippine national identity card system was established on August 6, 2018, when President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the "Philippine Identification System Act" (R.A. 11055).[9] Section 9 of the Act requires every Philippine citizen and resident alien to personally register with the Philippine ID system.[3]

Structure and usage[]

The ID contains basic information about the individual, which include demographic and biometric data.[10] The front side of the PhilID bears the coat of arms of the Philippines and the logo of the National ID system.The information displayed in the front include the assigned PhilID Card Number (PCN), photograph of the bearer, the bearer's full name (Surname, Given Name, Middle Name), birth date, and domicile. The back features the card's date of issue, QR code, and serial number alongside the bearer's sex (Male, Female), blood type (O+/-, A+/-, B+/-, AB+/-), marital status (optional), and place of birth.[11]

The central registry will store all registered information about the bearer and their mobile number and email address, both of which are optional, and the individual's biometrics data (full set of fingerprints set and iris scan).[10]

Unlike most previously issued government ID cards, the PhilSys ID does not bare a visible copy of the handwritten signature of the holder. According to the PSA, the absence of handwritten information is a security feature in itself.[12]

As a government-issued identification document, it also can be used the day-to-day transactions of registering for a mobile phone line, obtaining certain discounts at stores and shops (especially for senior citizens), and logging on to certain websites on the internet. Schools frequently use it to identify students, both on-line and in exams. The identity number will be considered as citizen's unique identity number for life.

The ID does not replace existing government identification cards that serve a purpose beyond identity authentication, such as the driving license, passport, and UMID.[13]

PhilSys Number[]

The Philippine Identification System provides for two sets of numbers; the PhilSys Number (PSN) and the PhilSys Card Number (PCN).[14] The PSN is a randomly-generated unique and permanent 12-digit identification number assigned to each registrant. The PSN contains highly sensitive data and is meant to be confidential; it is only disclosed when required by law. The PCN is the tokenized version of the PSN that can be used for general transactions with the government and private establishments. The PCN could be used without the physical ID card.[15]

Initial rollout[]

Filipino citizens as well as resident aliens will be required to obtain a PhilSys ID.[16][17] In an October 2018 report, PSA head (Lisa Grace S. Bersales, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the PSA) reported that the necessary bid procurement for the national ID system was scheduled to commence at around 3rd week of October 2018 and end around December 2018.

By November 2018, the PSA was working with the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) for the proof of concept. With the design of concept done, with testing projected for January 2019, procurement estimated ideally for June 2019, and roll-out planned for September 2019. The PSA set as a target getting 7 million Filipinos registered with priority given to beneficiaries of the government's cash transfer program and indigenous people (IP)s, while they projected that by 2023 all living Overseas Filipinos would have been issued IDs.[18] March 2019 was the projected start of registration for one million beneficiaries of the government's Unconditional cash transfer program while the registration of 25 million Filipinos was planned to start in September 2019.[19]

On January 7, 2019, the target was adjusted to 5 million Filipinos for 2019. The goal is that by the end of the 1st quarter to the beginning of the 2nd quarter, the PSA will master PhilSys's processes such as protocols regarding registration and transaction-number generation. September 2019 is set as the target for the launch of the Philippine ID system. By 2020, a total of 26 million Filipinos are projected to have registered with the ID system while in 2025 all 106 million Filipinos would have a PhilSys ID number assigned to them. By that time PhilSys ID number should be issued to newborn Filipino citizens.[20]

According to schedule, pilot-testing started on September 2, 2019 with a small number of individuals: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-beneficiaries and personnel of the PSA & National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). The testing was planned continue until July 2020, when registration is slated to be expanded and opened to the public, with overseas registry starting mid-2021. "The first part will involve biometric and demographic capturing processes. Once the system is stable, operations will expand to cover select groups from nearby regions, Regions III and IV-A, based on different geographical typologies. Set to begin on May 2020, the PSA planned to extend the pilot registration process to test the end-to-end system which essentially involves deduplication, generation of unique PhilSys Numbers (PSN), and card printing and issuance." According to new estimates, 100% registry of all Filipinos should be reached by mid-2022.[13]

The schedule was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and registration was rescheduled to begin towards the fourth quarter of 2020.[21] Registration began on October 2020, with 32 provinces prioritized.[22][23]

Reception[]

Proponents of the PhilSys assert that a national identification system would be beneficial in easing access to government services, reducing red tape, and law enforcement. Jamael Jacob, director of Ateneo de Manila University's Data Protection Office, stated that a universal ID system can make the delivery and access to public services more efficient.[24] Senator Panfilo Lacson also affirms that the ID will help in reducing bureaucratic tape.[25]

Critics of the PhilSys have aired concerns that the system might be used to abuse privacy as well as a means for control and repression.[26] In particular, the national-democratic human-rights network Karapatan[27] has alleged that the proposed PhilSys, along with the granting of the Philippine National Police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group subpoena powers, is part of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's "repressive measures".[28] National Statistician and Civil Registrar Undersecretary Dennis Mapa addressed privacy concerns by citing the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and the PhilSys Act as safeguards against privacy abuse by having strict controls on accessing and sharing data.[29]

Addressing critics of the PhilSys, Senator Ping Lacson has argued that the information to be gathered for the identity card is already present in other government-issued IDs such as voters' IDs, passports, and driver's licenses.[26]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Placido, Dharel (August 6, 2018). "Duterte signs National ID system into law". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  2. ^ Valencia, Czeriza (August 11, 2018). "National ID to be pilot-tested in select regions". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Republic Act No. 11055; Philippine Identification System Act". Act of July 24, 2017 (PDF). Official Gazette. Philippine Government.
  4. ^ "Philippines president signs national ID system into law". www.jurist.org. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  5. ^ "PRRD signs national ID law". Philippine News Agency. August 6, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Sy, Marvin (May 28, 2018). "Congress to ratify national ID bill today". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  7. ^ Diaz, Jess; Romero, Paolo (July 8, 2016). "Belmonte, Trillanes push for national ID system". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  8. ^ Ilas, Joyce (September 8, 2017). "House approves national ID bill on final reading". CNN Philippines. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  9. ^ Lopez, Virgil (August 6, 2018). "Duterte signs national ID system law". GMA News. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Congress ratifies bicam report on national ID system". CNN Philippines. May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  11. ^ "My ID". PhilSys. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  12. ^ Kabagani, Lade Jean (October 14, 2021). "PSA calls for recognition of PhilID sans handwritten signature". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Phil ID System on track on registering Pinoys by mid-2022". Philippine News Agency. September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  14. ^ "PhilSys Number". PhilSys. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  15. ^ Quiros, Judy (May 15, 2021). "PSA explains importance of PSN, PCN, PhilID". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  16. ^ "Congress ratifies bicam report on national ID system". CNN Philippines. May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  17. ^ Luci-Atienza, Charissa (October 4, 2020). "National ID mandatory – Barbers". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  18. ^ "PSA to roll out 7-M nat'l IDs in 2019". Philippine News Agency. November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  19. ^ "Nat'l ID to be rolled out in March: PSA". Philippine News Agency. October 5, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  20. ^ "PSA targets 5-M nat'l ID registrants this year". Philippine News Agency. January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  21. ^ "Philsys implementation is on track". Philippine Statistics Authority. August 23, 2020.
  22. ^ Magsumbol, Caecent No-ot. "Registration for national ID system begins today". philstar.com. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  23. ^ Medilo, Luis Reginaldo. "Philippine National ID Online Registration Step-by-Step Guide". Tech Pilipinas. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  24. ^ "LAW, ICT AND HUMAN RIGHTS: Pros and cons of national ID system". GMA News Online. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  25. ^ Malasig, Jeline (May 29, 2018). "Weighing the national ID system for Filipinos: The good, the bad and the ugly". Interaksyon. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  26. ^ a b Cabico, Katreena (May 29, 2018). "What you need to know about the proposed national ID". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  27. ^ Such advocacy groups, NGO's, and/or party-lists with alleged connections to the state-designated terrorist organization CPP-NPA-NDF, as shown in the official website of the International League of Peoples' Struggle, founded by CPP founder Jose Maria Sison.
  28. ^ Cabico, Gaea Katreena (March 12, 2018). "Karapatan: Police subpoenas, National ID system 'legitimize repression'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  29. ^ Share; Twitter; Twitter; Twitter. "Knowing PhiIID's benefits, uses". www.pna.gov.ph. Retrieved October 12, 2020.

External links[]

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