By Lade Jean Kabagani
MANILA – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Tuesday
announced that the Step 2 registration process for the Philippine
Identification System (PhilSys) project will gradually begin in the selected
provinces early this month.
In an advisory, the PSA said it will conduct a gradual and small-scale
rollout of the Step 2 PhilSys registration for those individuals who have taken
the first step of the registration phase for the PhilSys.
"The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) informs the public that
Step 2 Registration for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) will
start early January 2021 on a gradual, small-scale basis to ensure the safety
of the PhilSys registrants and registration staff," it said.
The PSA said it will initially open the registration centers in San
Pablo City, Laguna.
It added that a limited number of registration centers located in the
provinces of Bataan, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, and Rizal are also set to open
for the Step 2 PhilSys registration.
The PSA targets to start Step 2 Registration in more provinces by
February 2021.
It said the initial phase of Step 2 Registration will run from January
to April 2021, as it targets to register some 10.5 million Filipinos who have
then completed the Step 1 Registration in 2020.
The PSA urged the Step 1 registrants to wait for the announcements from
their respective municipalities or barangays related to the Step 2 PhilSys mass
registration rollout.
In coordination with local government units (LGUS), the PSA said it
will inform the Step 1 registrants of their respective schedules for Step 2.
Step 2 is the registration process which involves the validation of
supporting documents and capturing the registrants' biometric information, such
as fingerprints, iris scans, and front-facing photographs at the registration
centers.
For any inquiries, the registrants may reach PSA through email through
info@philsys.gov.ph, or message its official Facebook page via
www.facebook.com/PSAPhilSysOfficial, or may call the PhilSys hotline 1388.
The PSA reminded the registrants to carefully keep the PhilSys
transaction slip and prepare the supporting documents to be taken to the
selected registration centers for Step 2 of the registration process.
Amid the prevailing health crisis, the PSA has done a house-to-house
collection of demographic information of the targeted low-income household
heads from 664 cities and municipalities of the 32 identified provinces
including Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Bataan, Bulacan,
Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon,
Rizal, Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros
Occidental, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Compostela Valley, Davao Del
Norte, Davao Del Sur, Davao Occidental, and Tawi-Tawi.
PhilID, documentary requirements
The PSA said Philippine identification (PhilID) will not replace the
existing functional IDs that serve other purposes.
It said the PhilID is a foundational ID that serves as a valid proof of
identity which would help ease transactions with both government and private
sector through easier validation and authentication of identity.
In applying for the PhilID, applicants are advised to present an
original copy of one (1) of the following:
--PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth together with one government-issued
identification document bearing the full name, front-facing photograph, and
signature or thumb mark;
--Philippine Passport issued by the DFA;
--Unified Multi-Purpose Identification* (UMID) Card issued by the Government
Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Social Security System (SSS); or
--Valid LTO-issued Student’s License Permit or Non-Professional/Professional
Driver’s License
The full list of accepted documentary requirements can be found at the
back of the PhilSys Registration Form. Applicants without documentation may be
registered through the Introducer-Based Registration.
PhilID validity
The PSA said the PhilID for Filipinos has no expiration date, while the
PhilID issued to resident aliens will only be valid for one year.
Acquiring PhilID is free of charge for the initial issuance for
Filipinos, it said.
The PSA said the fee shall only apply for the replacement of the PhilID
due to damage or loss.
The holders of certificate of indigency, meanwhile, are exempted from
the replacement fee, as long as they present this certificate.
Data privacy, security
The government will adopt a privacy-protective system for data
protection and sufficient safeguards will be in place to ensure the safety,
security, and data privacy of the registry information.
"The PSA takes seriously the responsibility of ensuring the
privacy, security, and integrity of registered persons’ data," it said.
The PSA said it will strictly comply with the Data Privacy Act.
"The PSA has been working closely with the National Privacy
Commission (NPC), the Department of Information and Communication Technology
(DICT), and the National Security Council regarding the architecture and
processes of the PhilSys, including to identify and mitigate privacy and cybersecurity
risks," it said.
"The PhilSys design adopts Privacy-by-Design principles wherein
privacy is incorporated into its technologies by default and from the
start," it added.
The PSA earlier assured that the only person who can provide data
stored in the PhiSys registry remains to be the owner of the data.
"For example, the PhilSys collects and stores minimal data and the
PhilSys Number (PSN) is fully randomized, not revealing any information about
the person such as their date of birth," it said.
Signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in August 2018,
Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to
establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens.
The national ID shall be a valid proof of identity that shall be a
means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrollment in schools,
and the opening of bank accounts.
It will also boost efficiency, especially in dealing with government
services where people will only need to present one ID during
transactions. (PNA)
