THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) held last Tuesday a registration into the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) for delivery riders employed by the country’s top delivery service platforms.
DTI Assistant Secretary Mary Jean T. Pacheco said the event is part of the fast-tracking of the National ID system as listed on the agenda of DTI’s e-commerce roadmap.
Pacheco said during a briefing last Tuesday that the event was also based on a survey among the last-mile delivery service platforms (LMDS). She said the National ID was mentioned by respondents as something they wish to acquire as they see it “as very important to their businesses.”
“This initiative is aligned with PSA’s mission to prioritize the registration of beneficiaries of various government social protection program in support to this Administration’s 8-point economic agenda that aims to promote business-friendly environment, boost competitiveness and address poverty and equality,” Deputy National Statistician Fred S. Sollesta said during the same briefing.
To note, one of the strategies in the DTI e-Commerce roadmap is the hastening of e-Government initiatives across the e-Commerce system.
The two agendas listed under the strategy are: to “promote streamlining and automation in government and a pleasant user experience on online public services;” and, to “fast-track the implementation of the Philippine Identification System.”
The DTI emphasized that e-commerce needs to be supported by a “future-ready” regulatory environment that provides a “delicate balance” between enterprise development and consumer protection.
According to the DTI, doing so requires the following: updating existing policies particularly those that are obsolete and no longer responsive to current times; creating new policies to align with global and/or regional practices; and, creating a safer and more enabling environment for e-Commerce participants.
As the government aims to facilitate the adoption of the national ID, Sollesta noted the registration for delivery riders “guarantees” they are accounted for and included in the government’s effort to provide them with services and benefits needed.
“To realize the full potential of PhilSys, I highly encourage our partners to also integrate with Philsys and take advantage of the various authentication services that PSA will be developing. This will allow our delivery riders to enjoy the conveniences and benefits of having a digital ID,” Sollesta added.
Sollesta said PSA will establish more partnerships with other government agencies “to bring the registration experience closer to more Filipinos.”
PSA data showed that as of March 31, 77.97 million Filipinos have registered―collection of demographic and biometric information―for the PhilSys. This is 84.7 percent of the 92 million target of PSA.
One of PhilSys’s objectives is to drive social protection, especially for vulnerable groups such as the poor, people living in geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities.