I. Overview of the PhilSys

Republic Act No. 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, was signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 06 August 2018. It is an act establishing a single national identification system that aims to provide a valid proof of identity for Filipino citizens and resident aliens of the Philippines.

The Philippine Identification System or PhilSys refers to  the government’s central identification platform for all Filipino citizens and resident aliens of the Philippines.

The PhilSys Number (PSN) is a unique and randomly-generated 12-digit permanent identification number that is assigned to every citizen or resident alien upon successful registration to PhilSys.

The PhilID refers to the physical ID card that serves as a valid proof of identity that can be used to transact with the government and the private sector. The card is non-transferable and is issued upon successful registration to the PhilSys.

  • For Filipino citizens, the PhilID has no expiration and will only be renewed upon updating of demographic information and biometric information.
  • For resident aliens the PhilID is valid for only one (1) year and may be renewed annually.

Registration to PhilSys is not mandatory as stated in the law. However, since the PhilSys will be used for the issuance and provision of government services, it is strongly recommended for citizens to register.

  • The registrant is required to bring the original copy of any of the following primary documents:
  1. PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth AND one (1) government-issued identification document which bears full name, front-facing photograph, and signature or thumb mark.
  2. Philippine Passport or ePassport issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);
  3. GSIS or SSS-issued Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card (UMID);
  4. Land Transportation Office (LTO)-issued Student’s License Permit or Non-Professional/Professional Driver’s License

 

  • If the registrant does not have any of the above-mentioned documents, he/she may bring original copy of any of the following secondary documents:
  1. PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth/NSO-issued Certificate of Live Birth with Birth Reference Number (BreN)
  2. LCRO-issued Certificate of Live Birth
  3. PSA-issued Report of Birth
  4. PSA-issued Certificate of Foundling
  5. Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Identification Card
  6. Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ID
  7. Seaman’s Book
  8. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
  9. Senior Citizen’s ID
  10. SSS ID
  11. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) ID
  12. License to Own or Possess Firearms (LTOPF) ID
  13. NBI Clearance
  14. Police Clearance/ID
  15. Solo Parent’s ID
  16. PWD ID
  17. Voter’s ID
  18. Postal ID
  19. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) ID
  20. Philhealth ID
  21. Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA)-issued Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) 
  22. National ID from other countries
  23. Residence ID from other countries

 

  • The following identification documents shall be accepted as secondary supporting documents provided that they have a front-facing photograph, signature/thumbmark, full name, permanent address, and date of birth.
  1. Employee ID
  2. School ID
  3. Barangay Clearance/Certificate
  4. Barangay ID
  5. City/Municipal ID
  • Registration to Philsys is open to all ages, even to newborn children. 
  • For children below five (5) years old, only the demographic information and front-facing photograph will be collected and their PSN will be linked to their parent or legal guardian. Their demographic data and complete biometric information will still be captured at the time of registration but they will have to update and have their biometrics recaptured once they reach the age of fifteen (15).

II. Updates on the Implementation

  • PhilSys registration is currently on-going on a gradual and small-scale basis.
  • The PSA launched the Online Step 1 Registration on 30 April 2021 to allow registrants to set an appointment for their Step 2 registration.
  • As of present, there are already 235 registration centers available nationwide for online booking of appointment.
  • The booking of appointment feature in the website is made available in a gradual manner to ensure that the process is safe and efficient. Updates on the opening of appointment booking feature for other areas will be posted in the official Facebook page of PhilSys.
  • The PhilSys is a complex, transformative program. The registration of every Filipino, keeping that data up to date, and providing the ability for that to be digitally verified consist of one of the largest projects ever undertaken in the Philippines.
  • Considering the complexity, scale, and substantial risks, the PSA, in collaboration with partners such as DICT and NPC, is taking the time to carefully study potential technologies, develop risk mitigation strategies, and design appropriate policies and processes to ensure that the PhilSys meets the highest standards of functionality, data protection, and inclusion.
  • To deliver a safe, secure, and seamless PhilSys registration for Filipinos, systems testing is being done regularly to ensure its readiness and functionality before the actual deployment.
  • As of 10 June 2021, the PSA recorded a total of 36,257,328, in which 2,259,978 are successful online registrants.
  • The PSA started the rollout of Step 2 Registration last January 2021 in San Pablo City, Laguna and continues to open new registration center/sites on a gradual and small-scale basis starting with the first 32 identified provinces. The PSA has partnered with Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) for the co-location strategy to allow registrants, especially the unbanked low-income households, to open a transactional account with the agent banking partners during PhilSys registration.
  • On 12 June 2021, the PSA opened additional 226 registration centers in 212 cities and municipalities from 17 provinces.
  • To accommodate more registrants and ensure their safety and comfort, the PSA entered a partnership with the Robinsons Malls and SM Prime Holdings, Inc. to open registration centers in their branches nationwide.
  • The PSA has partnered with the Local Government Units (LGUs) for the establishment of the registration centers. Fixed registration centers in the provincial offices will be open to the public this year. Further announcements regarding the registration centers will be posted at the PSA website.
  • In partnership with Robinson Malls and SM Prime Holdings, Inc., additional registration centers may be checked on the official Facebook pages of Lingkod Pinoy (for Robinson Malls) and SM Supermalls.
  • The PSA has partnered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for the production of the PhilID and has also coordinated with PHLPost for the delivery.
  • As targeted, the BSP started its card production operations in February 2021.
  • The PHLPost started the delivery of PhilID within the first week of May 2021.

The PSA targets to register 70 million Filipinos to PhilSys by the end of 2021. This is in line with the goal to register almost all Filipinos by mid-2022.

The PSA, in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), will develop a registration strategy within 2021 for the registration of our Overseas Filipinos. The PSA targets to start the rollout of the registration for our OFWs within 2022.

III. Registration Process

The PSA established a 3-step registration process:

  • STEP 1: Submission of demographic data and set schedule of appointment for the Step 2
  • STEP 2: Validation of demographic data and capture of biometric information
  • STEP 3: Issuance of PhilSys Number or PSN and PhilID
  • Yes, for Step 1 registration can be done online through the Philsys web portal at register.philsys.gov.ph. 
  • Step 2 registration still has to be done at the registration center since it will involve validation of your demographic information against your  original documents and capture of your biometric information.

The average time for the Step 2 Registration is around 15-minutes.

IV. Health and Safety Protocols

  • The system of online Step 1 registration to input demographic information and schedule the appointment for Step 2 Registration limits exposure of registrants at the registration center and avoids congestion. 
  • Aside from the minimum standard of wearing PPEs such as face masks and face shields and contact tracing upon entering our registration center, a sanitation personnel is assigned to ensure that equipment used by the public (e.g., fingerprint scanner, iris-scanner) is regularly sanitized after every use.

Prior to entering the registration center, the guard gets the temperature of the registrants and asks them to fill-up a health declaration form. The registration staff ensures that the registrants follow the health and safety protocols imposed in the registration centers. Information materials are also posted containing health and safety reminders.

  • Should there be stricter quarantine protocols implemented in our target areas given the new COVID-19 strain, we have a back-up plan and the online registration is ready to be implemented for us to reach the 2021 registration target.
  • The adjustments in health and safety protocols started when operations back in October 2020 have proven to be effective in ensuring the safety of our registrants and registration staff. Scheduling of appointments during Step 1 registration effectively (1) secures a well-manage number of Step 2 registrants at registration centers and (2) shortens the amount of time spent in the area. 
  • Any new IATF standards added to existing health and safety protocols strictly will be adhered to during the registration process.

V. Data Privacy and Security

  • The PSA seriously takes the responsibility of ensuring the privacy, security, and integrity of data of registered persons’ data. Sufficient safeguards shall be in place to ensure information security, cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy, including in compliance with the Data Privacy Act.
  • The PSA has been working closely with the National Privacy Commission (NPC), the DICT, and the National Security Council regarding the architecture and processes of the PhilSys, including to identify and mitigate privacy and cybersecurity risks.
  • The PhilSys design adopts Privacy by Design principles wherein privacy is incorporated into its technologies by default and from the start. For example, the PhilSys collects and stores minimal data and the PhilSys Number (PSN) is fully randomized, not revealing any information about the person such as their date of birth.
  • The PhilSys is designed to empower people to have better access to public and private sector services and to enable service providers to shift their services to digital and online.
  • The data to be collected and stored by the PhilSys is minimal and is strictly defined and restricted by the PhilSys Act and the Data Privacy Act. As a foundational ID system, the PhilSys does not collect data beyond what is needed to uniquely identify individuals. For example, it does not collect information on socio-economic status, political or religious affiliation, criminal record, educational qualifications, etc.
  • Tokenization is also a key feature of PhilSys. Tokenization involves replacing sensitive data, in this case, the PSN, with derivative data so that the sensitive data is not compromised. There are two types of tokens that registrants can use: the PhilID Card Number (PCN) which is printed visibly on the front of the card (like how an ATM or credit card are linked back to an account number) and an Alyas PSN that can be generated by registrants through the PhilSys Portal and Mobile App. Either the PCN or Alyas PSN can be provided along with a One-Time PIN or biometric to do a digital authentication or e-KYC transaction.
  • Government agencies and the private sector cannot store the PSN itself in their databases but they can store specific tokens that will allow them to establish the uniqueness of individuals and to share or cross-check data with other agencies when consent is given or legally authorized.

VI. Use Cases

Use cases are products or services delivered through PhilSys-enabled services.

  • Aside from providing valid proof of identity, the national ID of the PhilSys is a platform to transform and streamline service delivery.
  • PhilSys establishes a single Philippine Identification System for all citizens and resident aliens of the Republic of the Philippines for easier accessibility and application for eligibility to social welfare programs and benefits from the government through e-KYC authentication which requires predetermined demographic information and biometric information as may be agreed upon by the PSA and the relying party.
  • The goal of establishing a national identification system is for the Filipino people to have a trusted and verifiable identification that will enable them to participate in the formal financial sector, as well as access employment opportunities and government services.

The PhilID will not replace the existing functional IDs that serve other purposes. The PhilID is a foundational ID that serves as a valid proof of identity, which would help ease transactions with both government and private sectors through easier validation and authentication of identity.

  • Authentication and e-KYC services are expected to become operational by mid-2021, from when PSA will carry out pilots with a small number of use cases and Relying Parties. 
  • A Relying Party is a public and private sector service provider that undergoes an onboarding process into the PhilSys, to be allowed to utilize PhilSys-enabled services to uniquely identify and verify the identity of their customers, in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines set by PSA. 
  • PSA expects to gradually scale up PhilSys-enabled services in the second half of 2021 and through 2022.
  • In the meantime, PSA will be publishing documentation and materials to help prospective Relying Parties prepare for integrating with the PhilSys.
  • PSA will not provide software and hardware but will publish documentation for guidance. 
  • PSA may also make a reference implementation (i.e. software that will serve as a reference or guide for other software developers) available. Relying Parties will have the flexibility to buy, modify or build their own systems.
  • PSA is finalizing the financial sustainability model of the PhilSys and is likely going to initially provide authentication and eKYC for free. PSA is committed to providing these services to the government for free. 
  • In the long term, if the PhilSys is going to charge any fees, these should be nominal so as not to create a cost barrier for adoption. Any fee is likely going to be less than the savings that Relying Parties will accrue from using the PhilSys to digitize their processes including onboarding.
  • As part of the PhilSys’ commitment to security and privacy, biometrics will not be shared to any external system.
  • However, a customer-authorized Relying Party may be able to receive the portrait photo of the customer, but strict limitations on how the photo is to be used will be part of the MOA between the PSA and the Relying Party. For example, they may be able to use the photo to print an ID card.