National ID System Law

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, August 6, signed Republic Act 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act.

The law, a copy of which was released by Malacañang on Wednesday, seeks to harmonize, integrate, and interconnect the countless and redundant government IDs by establishing a single national identification system to be known as the Philippine Identification System or PhilSys.

The Phil-ID will contain information such as the PhilSys number, full name, facial image, sex, date of birth, blood type, and address.

Duterte allayed public fears regarding privacy and security, noting that the information included in the Phil-ID will be similar to the information already in the possession of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Government Service Insurance System, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG Fund, and the Commission on Elections.

He also said the PSA “will work closely” with the National Privacy Commission, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the multi-agency PhilSystem Policy and Coordination Council to address all concerns pertaining to privacy and security.

“There is therefore no basis at all for the apprehensions about the Phil-ID, unless of course that fear is based on anything that borders to illegal. If at all, the Phil-ID will even aid in our drive against the social menaces of poverty, corruption, and criminal issues, as well as terrorism and violent extremism,” Duterte said in his speech during the signing ceremony in the presidential palace.

An initial funding of P2 billion has been earmarked for the implementation of the national ID system under the 2018 national budget. 

National ID System Law by GMA News Online on Scribd

— Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News