You can PhilSys on a boat: Philippines’ ID registration goes aquatic

In its campaign to reach and register every Filipino with a digital ID, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has launched a new initiative that will bring mobile registration to geographically remote coastal areas via traditional outrigger canoes.

A PSA release says the pragmatically named PhilSys on Boat program will allow personnel  and biometric equipment to reach the nation’s Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA), some of which can only be accessed by boat. Trips have already provided Filipinos living near the shore in isolated barangays with mobile registration, in some cases completing the process by issuing printed ePhilID cards on-site. They have also run a complementary PhilSys on Wheels initiative.

The government is making a final push for comprehensive coverage as the registration process enters its final stage. “We are now in the final leg of the PhilSys registration, and our utmost priority is to reach every Filipino, even in the most challenging and remote locations,” says Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, as quoted in The Freeman. “Our dedicated registration personnel are embarking on these bangkas, navigating house-to-house, and braving adverse weather conditions to ensure that every Filipino is registered to PhilSys.”

As of October 27 of this year, 81,492,399 Filipinos had registered with PhilSys. The current population of the Philippines is approaching 118 million.

Registration is available at fixed registration centers, in addition to the mobile units.

In late September, the World Bank approved a $600 million loan to fund the Philippines’ digital transformation initiative.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  identity document  |  national ID  |  PhilID  |  Philippines  |  Philippines Statistics Authority