PhilSys Step 1 Registration Reaches 2 Million Mark

More than two million Filipinos have completed Step 1 Registration of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) in select cities, and municipalities in 32 provinces.

As of 27 October 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recorded 2,104,904 individuals who have completed Step 1 of the PhilSys registration. To ensure that health and safety protocols are met, PSA enumerators conduct house-to-house collection of demographic information of a sample of low-income household heads from 32 priority provinces this year.

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, Leyte, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao De Oro, Davao Occidental, and Tawi-tawi.

“This is a huge milestone for the PhilSys program, and this puts us on track to begin Step 2 of registration this year. As we continue our operations, we expect to gain more insights on how we can fine-tune our processes to give the best PhilSys registration experience to our citizens,” said PSA Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General.

Out of the 32 provinces, 31 are on track in the registration. PSA reported an average of 45 registrations per enumerator per day which is almost double the projection before the operations started. The recorded average registration time is at 5 minutes per registrant, excluding travel time. Other figures detailing the progress of Step 1 Registration activities are made available to the public at the PSA website.

“Malaking bagay sa akin [ang magkaroon ng ID]. Pagka biglaang may pangyayari sa buhay, magagamit mo. Sa panahon ngayon, kailangan talaga makasali ka sa mga [ganitong programa], lalong lalo na kami[ng] walang hanap-buhay,” said Menecia Welba, a registrant from San Pablo, Laguna.

“Marami [ang maitutulong sa akin ng PhilSys national ID], kasi kahit saan magagamit mo siya. Kagaya ko, wala akong ID. Pwede, halimbawa, [magagamit ang national ID] sa bank. Sa mga pagkuha rin ng requirements. Malaking tulong ‘to, lalo na sa mga wala pang ID,” said Eliezl Magsino, another registrant from the same province.

The data from Step 1 Registration also show that eighty-eight percent of registrants are unbanked. By providing a valid proof of identity, the PhilSys program will help low-income families open bank accounts, access basic banking services, and more easily receive future government subsidies.

“Malaking bagay po talaga ang PhilSys… Malaking tulong po talaga, halimbawa, kapag nagpadala ng pera sa ‘yo at wala kang ibang ID, magagamit mo rin po ito. Kapag magpa-process ka sa bangko, magagamit mo ito,” said Mylin R. Mayor, a registrant from Libertad, Antique. 

Commenting on the house-to-house procedure, registrant Dominga Pagkaliwangan, also from San Pablo, Laguna, said, “Siguradong mas ligtas [itong pagbabahay-bahay para sa PhilSys ID Step 1 Registration] kasi wala akong ibang makakasalamuha kundi [ang mga enumerators lang].”

“We are grateful to the PSA field offices and enumerators for their relentless effort in conducting the house-to-house registration. We were on track in the first two weeks of Step 1, and reached the 2 million mark through their diligence, hard work, and commitment. The cooperation of our registrants and assistance from the local government units and our partners also contributed to this milestone.  We are pleased with the initial results, but rest assured this will not stop us in further improving the PhilSys registration operations,” said PSA Assistant Secretary Rosalinda P. Bautista, Deputy National Statistician of the PhilSys Registry Office.

Step 1 is the first out of the three-step registration process for the PhilSys. Step 2 will involve capturing the registrants’ biometric data such as iris scans, fingerprint scans, and front-face photograph, and is also set to begin this year. Finally, Step 3 will involve the issuance of the PhilSys Number (PSN) and the physical ID (PhilID).

For the latest information on PhilSys, please visit the official PhilSys website (www.psa.gov.ph/philsys) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PSAPhilSysOfficial/).

-PhilSys Registry Office