PhilSys Step 1 Registration Achieves 2020 Target, Surpasses 9 Million Mark

More than 9 million Filipinos have already completed the Step 1 Registration of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) as of 14 December 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reports. Per the latest dashboard released, PSA recorded a total of 9,004,546 Step 1 registrants. This milestone surpasses the target for the PhilSys Step 1 Registration this year.

This step, which includes the house-to-house collection of demographic information of low-income household heads and appointment setting for Step 2 Registration, started on 12 October 2020 in 32 priority provinces.

“Our current pace for Step 1 Registration allowed us to increase our initial target of 9 million Filipinos to 11 million this year. As we continue our Step 1 Registration operations in the first 32 provinces, we are confident that we will reach this next milestone before the year ends,” said PSA Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General.

The select provinces include: Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Leyte, and Tawi-tawi.

PSA achieved 100.1 percent of its initial 9 million target for PhilSys Step 1 Registration by day 55 of operations, despite the pandemic. According to Assistant Secretary Rosalinda P. Bautista, Deputy National Statistician of the PhilSys Registry Office, this milestone is made possible with the strong support and full cooperation of the local government units of the 32 provinces, and dedication of PSA enumerators who went on the field to collect the registrants’ demographic information.

The addition of Step 1 Registration aims to ensure the safety of both the registrant and registration staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this first step, the scheduling of appointments also allows PSA to manage the number of registrants at registration centers at any given period in adherence to health and safety protocols.

Step 2 Registration will involve the validation of supporting documents and capture of biometric information, such as fingerprints, iris scans, and front-facing photographs at registration centers. PSA is set to begin Step 2 in January 2021 on a gradual, small-scale basis. Finally, Step 3 will involve the issuance of the PhilSys Number and the physical ID (PhilID).

The PSA had earlier announced that the government is prioritizing the registration of low-income household heads. Among the 9 million registrants, 89.3 percent have indicated that they do not have bank accounts. This emphasizes the importance of ensuring the successful rollout of the country’s national ID system in order to enable Filipinos to easily open bank accounts with the PhilID as valid proof of identity. Thus, access to basic banking services will allow low-income families less vulnerable to informal lending practices that charge onerous interest rates.

For the latest information on PhilSys, please visit the official PhilSys website (www.psa.gov.ph/philsys) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PSAPhilSysOfficial/). You may also reach the PhilSys Registry Office via hotline number 1388 or e-mail at info@philsys.gov.ph.

-PhilSys Registry Office