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Also, the matters contained in the following were written in accordance with the law, rules, and jurisprudence prevailing at the time of writing and posting, and do not include any future developments on the subject matter under discussion.
AT A GLANCE:
The PhilID is a nontransferable card which shall be preferably be issued to all citizens or resident aliens registered under the PhilSys subject to the guidelines to be issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority. (Section 6[c] of the Philippine Identification System Act of Republic Act No. 11055)
Republic Act No. 11055, also recognized as the Philippine Identification System Act, seeks to establish a unified national identification system for all citizens and resident aliens within the country. The PhilID functions as a legitimate form of identity verification applicable for transactions with both government agencies and private entities. This card is non-transferable and is issued after a successful registration with the PhilSys. While the law does not make registration for PhilSys compulsory, it is highly advised that citizens enroll due to its role in facilitating the issuance and accessibility of government services.
Registration Requirements to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys)
Primary Documents
The individual registering must present an original copy of one of the following primary documents:
- PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth AND one (1) government-issued identification document which bears full name, front-facing photograph, and signature or thumb mark
- Philippine Passport or ePassport issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
- GSIS or SSS-issued Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card (UMID)
- Land Transportation Office (LTO)-issued Student’s License Permit or Non-Professional/Professional Driver’s License
Secondary Documents
In the event that the registrant lacks the aforementioned primary documents, they have the option to provide the original version of any of the subsequent secondary documents:
- PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth/NSO-issued Certificate of Live Birth with Birth Reference Number (BreN)
- LCRO-issued Certificate of Live Birth
- PSA-issued Report of Birth
- PSA-issued Certificate of Foundling
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Identification Card
- Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ID
- Seaman’s Book
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
- Senior Citizen’s ID
- SSS ID
- Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) ID
- License to Own or Possess Firearms (LTOPF) ID
- NBI Clearance
- Police Clearance/ID
- Solo Parent’s ID
- PWD ID
- Voter’s ID
- Postal ID
- Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) ID
- Philhealth ID
- Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA)-issued Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV)
- National ID from other countries
- Residence ID from other countries
Secondary Supporting Documents
Secondary supporting documents will be considered valid if they feature a front-facing photograph, signature/thumbmark, complete name, permanent address, and date of birth. The following are accepted secondary supporting documents:
- Employee ID
- School ID
- Barangay Clearance/Certificate
- Barangay ID
- City/Municipal ID
Minimum age for registration. PhilSys registration is available for individuals of all age groups, including newborn children. But for children under the age of five (5), they will have their demographic details and front-facing photograph collected with their PSN being connected to their parent or legal guardian. While their complete demographic data and biometric information gathered during registration, they will need to undergo an update and biometric recapturing when they reach the age of fifteen (15).
Validity of PhilID. For Filipino citizens, the PhilID remains valid indefinitely, requiring renewal solely when there are updates to demographic and biometric details.
In contrast, resident aliens are issued a PhilID with a validity of one (1) year, necessitating annual renewal.
Registration Process. As per Philippine Statistics Authority, the three-step registration process for Philippine Identification Sysstem is as follows:
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Step 1: |
Submission of demographic data and set schedule of appointment for Step 2. |
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Step 2: |
Validation of demographic data and capture of biometric information. |
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Step 3: |
Issuance of PhilSys Number or PSN and PhilID |
Data Privacy and Security
PSA’s Responsibility on Information Uploaded in the PhilSys
The PSA takes its responsibility for safeguarding the privacy, security, and integrity of registered individuals’ data very seriously. Strong measures are in place to ensure the security of information, cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy, all in accordance with the Data Privacy Act.
The PSA has maintained a close collaboration with the National Privacy Commission, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the National Security Council. This partnership aims to shape the architecture and procedures of the PhilSys and to effectively identify and mitigate potential privacy and cybersecurity risks.
Government’s Responsibility on Securing Data Gathered
The data collection and storage by the PhilSys are deliberately kept to a minimum and are strictly governed by the PhilSys Act and the Data Privacy Act. As a foundational identification system, the PhilSys exclusively gathers data necessary for the distinct identification of individuals. Notably, it refrains from gathering details such as socio-economic status, political or religious affiliations, criminal records, educational qualifications, and more.
It is important to note that government agencies and private entities are prohibited from storing the PSN itself in their databases. However, they are allowed to store specific information that enable them to establish the uniqueness of individuals and to share or cross-verify data with other authorized agencies, provided that consent is granted or legal authorization is obtained.
Read also: The PHILSYS Act (Philippine Identification System Act, R.A. No. 11055)
Alburo Alburo and Associates Law Offices specializes in business law and labor law consulting. For inquiries regarding taxation and taxpayer’s remedies, you may reach us at info@alburolaw.com, or dial us at (02)7745-4391/0917-5772207.
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