Philippines agency to print national ID cards itself | Biometric Update

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is switching up where it is printing PhilSys ID cards following the termination of the contract with the national ID card supplier.

PSA National Statistician Undersecretary Dennis Mapa told ABS-CBN News that around 34.5 million physical national IDs are yet to be printed. The PSA plans to print the PhilSys ID cards in its provincial offices.

“The PSA initiated engagement with alternative service providers to print the remaining physical national ID,” Mapa told ABS-CBN News. “We expect to start decentralized printing (at the PSA’s provincial offices) in the latter part of this year.”

In the meanwhile, a dispute over the contract to print the ID cards, held by Allcard Inc, is ongoing.

The national Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) was introduced in August 2018, with the aim of reducing red tape and criminality, but has faced numerous challenges such as printing quality and distribution. The delays have been such that this week a legislator in the Visayas region of the Southeast Asian country introduced the so-called “One Valid ID” bill in order to simplify the process for citizens dealing with government agencies and private entities.

The 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia (who introduced the bill) called out the implementation of the PhilSys ID, describing it as “difficult” and “incomprehensive,” and blamed it on the recent pandemic and “logistical challenges.”

Around 90 million Filipinos have registered with the Philippine Identification System, while 55.5 million physical IDs have already been printed, according to the PSA. In addition, the Philippines government has issued 46 million ePhilIDs and 18.4 million national digital IDs, which fulfill the same function as the physical ID.

The Philippine Statistics Agency signed a Memorandum of Agreement at its headquarters in Quezon City, just northeast of Manila, to formalize its collaboration with GoTyme Bank Corporation for a colocation strategy in mobile registration activities of the National ID system.

The aim is to further promote financial inclusion by allowing unbanked citizens who have “just successfully registered to the National ID system,” and mobile registration activities, to open bank accounts for free with GoTyme Bank. These mobile registration activities include PhilSys on Wheels, PhilSys on Boat, and house-to-house registration.

“The PSA’s colocation strategy was not only designed to boost National ID registration but also to extend our reach in facilitating financial inclusion, especially to our underserved kababyans [countrymen],” said Mapa.

Previously, the PSA has partnered with the Land Bank of the Philippines for colocation in National ID registration centers. This 2021 initiative, which also had a financial inclusion angle, onboarded a total of 8.3 million registrations, according to the PSA, of which 5.8 million individuals were able to open transactional accounts.

In addition, the PSA has collaborated with microfinance rural bank Dungganon Bank Incorporated, based in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental, which allows registered individuals to open bank accounts for free after successful registrations to the national ID.

identity document | national ID | PhilID | Philippines | Philippines Statistics Authority

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