PSA launches digital national ID

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) launched on Monday the digital national ID, which can serve as valid proof of identification for both government and private transactions.

While the digital national ID will serve as the official digital version of the national ID, the PSA said physical national ID cards will still be delivered to individuals registered with the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).

Speaking at the launch of the digital national ID, PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said over 87 million Filipinos registered with the national ID system can now access their digital cards through computers or smartphones with internet connection.

The digital national ID can be accessed by those registered to the PhilSys by visiting national-id.gov.ph or downloading the eGovPH app, which requires input of demographic information and facial verification to confirm the individual’s identity.

“With these developments, every registered Filipino now has improved access to a reliable and secure proof of identity that can be easily authenticated on their devices. This will facilitate the faster distribution and wider utilization of the national ID,” Mapa said.

DICT Secretary Ivan Uy said the digital national ID will revolutionize the way things are done in the government.

“This modern identification system will streamline transactions, improve service delivery and ultimately make doing business easier for everyone,” he said.

For his part, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the digital national ID would significantly improve the overall efficiency and quality of government services, especially in the delivery of social welfare benefits.

“We want to lessen leakages and ensure that public money is spent where it must be spent. Social assistance financed by limited government funds must be well-targeted and efficiently channeled electronically,” he said.