The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is moving forward with its plans for a mobile national ID. The government agency first hinted that it was working on a mobile version of its national ID card back in August, and has now confirmed that it plans to launch the digital IDs in early 2022.
The mobile IDs will be rolled out as part of the Philippine’s broader PhilID national ID program. The government has already started distributing physical PhilID cards, but has struggled to send a card to everyone who has registered to receive one.
The mobile PhilIDs will help to alleviate that backlog, allowing citizens to take advantage of their national ID while still waiting for their physical card. In that regard, Filipino residents will be able to present their PhilID – and only their PhilID – as valid proof of identity when accessing various government services, and in commercial exchanges with banks and private businesses.
The Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) is responsible for overseeing the entire PhilID program, which covers both the physical and digital version of the card. To obtain a mobile PhilID, citizens will first need to register for a physical PhilID. That process asks them to submit personal information like name, gender, and place of birth, as well as biometric information and supporting documents that prove that the information is legitimate.
Citizens receive a unique 12-digit PhilSys Number (PSN) and a physical ID card once that process is complete. When the mobile ID program goes live, they will then be able to use that same PSN to generate a supplementary mobile PhilID document.
“This is the project that the PSA is working on and we hope to be able to launch it very soon,” said PSA Undersecretary Rosalinda Bautista. “We are targeting to have this mobile ID by early next year.”
According to the PSA, the final version of the mobile PhilID will have strong security features to protect the personal information of card holders. The Philippines has been preparing for new national IDs for several years, and passed the Philippine Identification System Act in 2018. The country has also made biometric registration a part of its elections process.
Source: Philippine News Agency
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