WAITING FOR THE CARD. A resident of Eastern Samar province enlists in the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) in this undated photo. Only 20 percent of the over 3.3 million residents in Eastern Visayas who have registered for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) have received their printed identification (ID) cards, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday (Aug. 10, 2022). (Photo courtesy of PSA)
TACLOBAN CITY – Only 20 percent of the over 3.3 million residents in Eastern Visayas who registered for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) have received their printed identification (ID) cards, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday.
The delay in the delivery of ID cards can be attributed to the limited production of physical ID cards in Manila, according to PSA Eastern Visayas Regional Director Wilma Perante.
Of the 3,387,864 residents who completed the PhilSys registration process, only 669,149 or 20 percent of them received their printed ID cards.
“The delays are being taking care of by our central office. We just make sure that we immediately deliver to intended recipients all cards received by the region,” Perante added.
The region has 4,032,967 projected population aged five years and older. Those who completed the two-step registration process cover 84 percent of the region’s target population.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the faster distribution of the national IDs under the PhilSys to enable Filipinos to use it by 2023.
Recently, the PSA said they would release three types of physical national identification cards – in print, downloadable, and mobile formats.
The PSA is eyeing the delivery of 30 million physical cards nationwide and the establishment of 20 million digital national IDs this year.
It also plans to pilot test the printable version of the digital cads by October and will launch the mobile version by the end of the year.
Signed into law by then-president Rodrigo Duterte in August 2018, Republic Act 11055, or the PhilSys Act, aims to establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens.
The national ID will be a valid proof of identity that shall be a means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrolment 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 the PhilID during transactions. (PNA)
