“PhilSys Registration for Children”

Section 3 of the Republic Act 11055 otherwise known as the “Philippine Identification System” (PhilSys) Act provides that the PhilSys shall primarily be established to provide a valid proof of identity for all Filipino citizens and resident aliens to simplify private and public transactions. To ensure an inclusive identification, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) launched the registration of children below five years old.

Consequently, as mandated by the law, the PSA-Provincial Statistical Office Davao del Norte (PSO-DavNor) kicked-off the pilot test registration of below 5 years in the province of Davao del Norte on 14 February at the PSA-Based PhilSys Fixed Registration Center (PFRC). The pilot testing was implemented to cater the children of PSO-DavNor employees, this strategy was made to test the efficiency of the system and listed observations during the process before allowing all registration centers to cater 1-4 years old registration.

The registration of children was also conducted during mobile registrations in different areas of Davao del Norte

After the pilot testing, the Registration Centers in Davao del Norte are now allowed to cater PhilSys registration of children aged 1-4 years old following specific guidelines. Only the demographic information and front-facing photograph will be collected during registration of children. The complete biometric information will be captured when the children reached the aged of five.

The PhilSys Number (PSN) of the children shall be linked to the PSN of the parent or guardian for authentication purposes. In which case, the full name and PhilSys Card Number of the accompanying parent/guardian shall be collected during the registration.

Overall, the registration of children below five years old to the PhilSys is essential for promoting their rights, ensuring their access to essential services, and fostering their overall well-being and development from an early age.

PEPITO D. AMOYEN

Chief Statistical Specialist          

AJL/CFCA