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National ID is for life, free: PSA-11

By Danilo Adorador, III

February 19, 2021, 1:45 pm

DAVAO CITY – The national ID has no expiration date once issued to a Filipino citizen holder.

“This can only be reversed by updating your demographic and biometric information or if it has a defect,” the Philippine National Statistics (PSA) 11 regional office said in a statement on Feb. 16.

However, for foreign permanent residents in the Philippines or resident aliens, the national ID issued to them is only valid for one year. They have to renew it for succeeding years, according to PSA-11.

But does a national ID does entail any cost?

PSA-11 said national ID is free, although “there is a need to pay for the transfer of the lost or damaged Philippine ID.”

The agency also addressed some frequently asked questions about the initiative, one of which is the priority given to low-income households.

“They are identified as the priority sector so that it would be easier for them to open a bank account or e-money accounts which they will use in accessing financial assistance from the government in times of need,” PSA-11 said, adding that low-income household registrants are listed in the Listahanan 3 of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Still, the agency made it clear that the general public would be served in the latter part of the year until 2022, the projected timeline for when all Filipino citizens and resident aliens who are interested in the national ID are already registered.

Though national ID is not mandatory, PSA-11 said it would be much easier to transact with any government or private entity by using a single national ID.

There are two steps for registration with the National ID, first of which is Step 1 that involves the pre-registration is the recording of 10 key demographic information of an individual: complete name, sex, birthday, place of birth, blood type, address, citizenship status,  marital status, contact number, and email address.

Step 2 entails getting biometric information from an individual: a front-facing photograph, a full set of fingerprints, and iris scan.

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)

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