Duterte, other officials register for National ID System

President Rodrigo Duterte and two other officials on Thursday evening had their biometric information taken as they registered for the national identification system at the Malacañang Palace.

Photos released by Malacañang showed the President with Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea undergoing the registration process.

The process was administered by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Duterte also gave a thumbs-up as he posed for a picture with his printed ID. 

The President signed into law the proposed national identification system in August 2018.

The law seeks to harmonize, integrate, and interconnect the countless and redundant government IDs by establishing a single national ID system.

The ID will include the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Act number, full name, facial image, sex, date of birth, blood type, and address of the concerned individual.

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government in September 2020 said that majority of Filipinos should have the national ID by 2022.

"Kailangan majority o kung 'di naman lahat ng ating kababayan ay mayroon na pong national ID sa 2022. Dahil ang gusto po kasi natin sa sistemang ito ay hindi na 'yung napakaraming ID pa ang ginagamit ng ating mga kababayan for identification. Laging naghahanap ng kung ano-ano," Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya told Dobol B sa News TV in September 2020.

By October 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the public can choose whether or not to apply for a national ID although having one is encouraged.

"Pero ini-encourage po namin ang pag-apply at pagkuha ng national ID...Dadating po tayo doon sa time na lahat ng transaksyon sa government ay hihingian na po ng national ID ang isang tao,” said PSA Assistant Secretary Rosalinda Bautista. -- BAP, GMA News