The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is confident that it will meet its target of registering 50 million Filipinos in Steps 1 and 2 of the National ID this year.
As of the end of October, two months before the deadline, the PSA has completed the registration of 40.26 million Filipinos.
Over 3.1 million Filipinos have already received PhilID cards nationwide through the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost), as of October 31, 2021.
“The PSA salutes all those who contributed to this milestone for the PhilSys Step 2 Registration. As we are nearing the conclusion of another year, we look forward to attaining our goals in registering the general population to PhilSys,” National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Dennis S. Mapa said.
“Rest assured that the PSA, together with its field offices and partner agencies, are working diligently and in unison despite the pandemic to ensure that more Filipinos can use their PhiIIDs to access various services,” he added.
The Step 2 registrations involve verifying the registrant’s demographic information and capturing their biometric data, such as fingerprints, iris scans, and front-facing photographs.
The PhilSys Step 3 Registration involves the issuance of the unique PhilSys Number (PSN) and the PhilID card. The PSA partnered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for card production and personalization, while PHLPost manages the door-to-door delivery of the PhilID cards.
“We humbly ask for the patience and support of the public as we, together with the BSP and PHLPost, continuously do our best in accommodating millions of Filipinos who have successfully registered for PhilSys Step 1 and Step 2. In the meantime, please stay tuned for the launch of the PhilSys mobile ID,” said PSA Assistant Secretary Rosalinda P. Bautista, Deputy National Statistician of the PhilSys Registry Office.
The PhilSys mobile ID is the digital version of the PhilID card. The launch of the PhilSys mobile ID aims to accelerate the use of PhilSys, by providing a digital alternative to the physical card.
The PhilSys Card Number (PCN) is the public version of the PhilSys Number (PSN) printed on the front side of the PhilID, which shall be used when transacting for private and government services.
The PSA strongly advises registrants to safe keep the letter containing their PSN upon receiving the PhilID. The PSN is unique to each registrant and should always be kept as confidential. The public is also reminded to refrain from posting a photo of their PhilID card on social media and other public platforms.
Meanwhile, as of October 21, 2021, around 5.9 million registrants have been onboarded through the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) co-location with the PSA in designated PhilSys Registration Centers (RCs) across the country.
PSA said registrants could also download and open an account through the LANDBANKPay, an e-wallet account that they can use in the comfort and safety of their homes.
As of 21 October 2021, LandBank is co-locating in 493 PhilSys RCs in 446 cities and municipalities nationwide, of which 25 RCs are within the National Capital Region (NCR). PSA and LandBank are also anticipating more co-location RCs in NCR and in over 25 other cities and municipalities across the country.
“Bringing unbanked Filipinos into the financial mainstream lays the groundwork for inclusive growth, especially as we fast-track initiatives toward economic recovery and sustained development,” LandBank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said.
“Access to formal banking services encourages people to save money, repay loans, invest in financial products, and guide them to financial independence,” she added.
Through this partnership, LandBank is issuing the LandBank Agent Banking Card to unbanked PhilSys registrants for free.
This transaction account can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs and point-of-sale (POS) terminals, perform cashless transactions, do tap payments, shop online, and even receive government subsidies. They can also cash-in, cash-out, and transfer funds at any LandBank Branch or Agent Banking Partner.