The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has reached 90 percent of its target registration of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) in Palawan, and 10,000 physical copies of ID cards have arrived at the local post office.
PSA Palawan has so far registered about 871,625 Palaweños out of its target population of 965,275, according to chief statistical specialist Maria Lalaine Rodriguez. In the province, PSA Palawan began the PhilSys registration process in May 2021.
As mandated by Republic Act 11055, generally known as the Philippine Identification System Act, PhilSys registration is necessary in order to obtain a national ID.
“Wala talagang nakaka-100 percent except sa Busuanga, Coron, and El Nido. They meet the 100 percent ng kanilang population. Ang ating population is based from the 2015 population. Itong katulad ng Busuanga, 107 percent meaning may na-capture sa ating 2020 population. Ang Coron 109 percent, El Nido ay 108 percent,” Rodriguez said.
The PhilSys procedure begins with PSA data collection, which is then uploaded by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will print the physical copies, which will be distributed by PHLPost.
PHLPost will text applicants once their IDs are available. PSA indicated that it has no control over the distribution schedule.
“Nasa level ng PhilPost ang physical copy ng ID, so far, ang latest na advisory ay nasa 10,000 na ‘yong dumating sa kanila at 4,000 na, sa pinaka-latest na update sa amin, nasa 4,000 plus na ‘yong kanilang na-deliver or 10,000 plus,” she explained.
Rodriguez also stated that the national ID could be used in financial transactions, in response to complaints that it is not recognized due to the absence of a signature.
In October 2021, the BSP issued Memorandum No. M-2021-057, reminding its supervised financial institutions to accept the national ID as sufficient proof of identity.
“May in-issue na man ngayon na kautusan regarding sa paggamit, pagkilala sa national ID. Actually, may way na para ma-verify ng mga financial institution kung ‘yong taong may dala ng national ID ay siya mismo ‘yon,” she said.
