PhilID design and security features showcased, digital ID card acceptance urged again

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has explained to the public the various features of the PhilID card and has given assurances that the features will ensure their digital ID security by guarding against fraud and identity theft.

The explanation comes as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have called for wider acceptance of the card as a valid tool for carrying out public and private transactions, according to separate press releases from the PSA.

The PhilID has both overt and covert security features on the front and back spaces – some visible and some not — according to one of the releases. The front side of the card has 13 features in all, three of which are covert; a color shifting print, microprinted texts and a guilloche design. These covert features, the PSA says, cannot be counterfeited and are meant to guarantee the security and authenticity of the card.

The back of the digital ID card contains some of the holder’s demographic information including sex, blood type, marital status, and place of birth as well as a QR code that can be scanned to determine the holder’s PSN (PhylSys Number), a barcode for the card’s serial number and a microprint of the PSN.

Distribution of the PhilID has been ongoing for those who have completed the Step 2 biometrics enrollment, and the PSA says a total of 561,042 cards had been put at the disposal of the PHLPost for delivery to their owners as of June 17.

Calls continue for acceptance of PhilID

Meanwhile, according to the PSA, the BSP and the DILG have issued separate statements calling on government agencies and private entities to accept the PhilID and the national ID as the only ID document with which they can affect their operations. The move comes after the PSA made a similar call in an advisory.

“Consistent with PSA Advisory dated 19 May 2021, the PhilSys ID should be accepted as official and sufficient proof of identity without the need to present any other identification documents,” the BSP was quoted as saying in its memo.

On the same issue, DILG Secretary Eduardo M Año said: “Using the PhilID card as a single requirement without the need to present any other identification document is a big step towards streamlining information and easier transactions in all government offices and private establishments.”

The PSA also announced its plan to introduce automated online and offline digital ID authentication capabilities in line with its goal of making the PhilSys a digital and interoperable platform.

The Authority equally mentioned their efforts to put in place the biometrics-backed digital know your customer (KYC) platform intended to facilitate financial institutions supervised by the BSP to comply with the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 and to reduce the cost and risk of onboarding.

Authorities have also warned that the law gives the PSA authority to cancel people’s digital ID in the event they are found to have falsified registration information, including biometrics.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  fraud prevention  |  ID cards  |  identity document  |  identity management  |  national ID  |  Philippines  |  secure transactions