The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) celebrates another landmark in the national ID implementation as it hits 10 million ePhilIDs issued to Filipinos.

A total of 10,126,352 ePhilIDs have been claimed at Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration centers nationwide as of 19 December 2022.

“We launched the ePhilID just two months ago. Reaching the 10 million mark this fast in the implementation is, indeed, a major milestone. This only shows how ready we Filipinos are for PhilSys as a digital ID. We are overwhelmed and grateful for the huge demand for the ePhilIDs,” said PSA Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General.

PSA underscores that there is an allocated physical card for each person registered to PhilSys. Those who want to claim their ePhilID at PhilSys registration centers will still receive their physical card which will be delivered to the address they used upon their Step 2 registration.

“Lahat ng nag-register sa PhilSys ay may PhilID card. Kahit kumuha ka ng ePhilID, makakatanggap ka pa rin ng PhilID card.” Usec. Mapa said.

PSA assures the public that the printing and delivery of the PhilID card are continuous in partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Philippine Postal Corporation (Post Office).

The ePhilID is a part of the PSA’s proactive strategy to allow the immediate use of PhilSys as a valid proof of identity and age, subject to authentication. Designed to have the same functionality and validity as the physical card, the ePhilID is a government-issued ID and is being accepted by government agencies and private establishments in transactions requiring proof of identity or age.

“Mula sa pag-apply sa mga serbisyo ng gobyerno hanggang sa pagbukas ng bank account, pwede na kaagad magamit ang ePhilID. Katuwang ng PSA ang iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno at ang private sector para sa pagtanggap ng ePhilID,” Usec. Mapa said.

Through various issuances and advisories, the BSP, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Finance (DOF), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and National Privacy Commission (NPC), among others have announced the acceptance of the ePhilID.

“Nagamit ko na po ang ePhilID. Kumuha po ako ng perang padala ng aking kapatid sa Palawan [Express],” said Sharon Berueda, 38 years old, from Agoncillo, Batangas.

“Una kong nagamit ang ePhilID sa pag-open ko ng account sa bangko, which is sa Landbank. Ginamit ko ito nung nagsimula na akong magtrabaho sa government,” a testimonial from 22-year-old Maria Andrea Manalo of Alitagtag, Batangas said.

“As we continue to issue more ePhilIDs, we have doubled our efforts to promote the acceptance of the ePhilID. We call to the public to report to PSA any incident where their ePhilID was not honored so we can coordinate and take action,” Usec. Mapa added.

For incidents of non-acceptance, PSA may be reached through info@philsys.gov.ph, Hotline 1388 (fees may apply), and m.me/PhilSysOfficial.

In terms of security, the ePhilID boasts of its QR code which uses public- private key cryptography to ensure that the information inside the code cannot be tampered with. Aside from demographic information, the QR code also contains the registered person’s facial photo for an added layer of security when verifying the identity of the ePhilID holder.

“Madali lang ang proseso ng pag-verify kung totoo ba ang ePhilID o PhilID ng isang tao. Gamit ang PhilSys Check, i-scan lang ang QR code ng ePhilID o PhilID at makikita ang demographic data na nilalaman din ng ID,” Usec. Mapa explained.

Transactions using the ePhilID must be subject to authentication through the PhilSys Check (https://verify.philsys.gov.ph), a website for scanning the QR code. PhilSys Check is accessible online via any smart device or computer with a camera and internet browser.

To sustain the momentum in pushing digitalization through PhilSys, PSA is expediting the launch of another means to easily obtain the ePhilID: downloading through mobile devices. Registered persons may soon download their ePhilID on their smartphones or laptops directly through the PhilSys website.

“The process of downloading the PhilID is our priority and is right now being implemented in a small, controlled pilot. We are excited to open this to the public very soon,” Usec. Mapa said.

Get the latest updates on the ePhilID and its upcoming downloading process via the PhilSys website (https://philsys.gov.ph) and official Facebook page (https://facebook.com/PSAPhilSysOfficial).

Quick Links:

● Website: https://philsys.gov.ph

● Facebook page: https://facebook.com/PSAPhilSysOfficial

● Online Step 1 Registration: https://register.philsys.gov.ph

● ePhilID appointment: https://appt.philsys.gov.ph

● PhilID/ePhilID authentication: https://verify.philsys.gov.ph