Digital identity progress means small decrease in 2023 budget for Philippines agency

Progress made by the Philippines digital identity system PhilSys is the reason for a cut in the agency’s proposed budget for 2023, writes The Inquirer.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is set to receive the majority of the 13.273 billion Philippine pesos (approximately US$230 million) being allotted to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). P9.866 billion ($170 million) is earmarked for the PSA for the upcoming year, down from P11.1 billion ($190 million) in fiscal 2022, a 6 percent decrease.

“That lower budget can be attributed to the accomplishments or to the components of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), which was already conducted and procured in 2022,” Arsenio Balisacan, head of the Senate Finance Subcomittee, told The Inquirer.

Progress on PhilSys this year includes the introduction of the mobile version of the digital ID cards, and a rapid advance from the 50 million people signed up as of last December. The PSA also piloted a new civil registry system this year, and launched an authentication platform for the national ID.

For the coming year, PSA plans to deliver 92 million physical and digital ID cards, and register the biometrics of 24 million more Filipinos and foreign residents for PhilSys.

The budget proposal is still conditional on approval by the Senate plenary, according to the report.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  identity management  |  national ID  |  Philippines  |  Philippines Statistics Authority