Accept ID cards or face fine, Philippines tells public agencies, banks
After complaints from low-income residents of the Philippines saying that some government offices and financial institutions have refused to accept their national IDs, the regional government agency in charge of the country’s digital identity project has warned that they may face fines.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in the Western Visayas region reminded this week that the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Identification Card (PhilID) is a valid proof of identity, Panay News reports.
For some citizens of the island nation, the PhilID or PhilSys Number is their only valid proof of identity. Those that refuse to accept it face sanctions under Section 19 of RA 1105 with fines reaching 500,000 Philippine pesos (US$8,820), the agency noted.
The Philippine Statistics Authority also said that the region, known for its famous tourist destination Boracay, still has around one million backlogs in national IDs. The office also plans to enroll 1 million indigents or extremely poor residents from Western Visayas in the PhilSys this year, according to the Philippine News Agency.
Registration for the national digital ID includes biometrics enrollment.
“We target 50 percent of the 2 million,” says Nelida Amolar, PSA’s chief statistical specialist. “We will be registering more or less 1 million. We still have a backlog when it comes to our target.”
As of the end of July this year, the PSA had registered 79.12 percent of the region’s population of 7.9 million. Around 2.2 million have received an electronic copy of their PhilSys ID, while 3.7 million have physical ID cards. But the office has struggled to reach inhabitants living in far-flung areas.
Amolar assured the public that the IDs will be delivered and ready for release within this year with registration starting in schools and government institutions from September 15.
Article Topics
biometrics | digital ID | financial services | government services | PhilID | Philippines
Comments