Senator Mark Villar, chairman of the Senate trade committee, has filed a bill allowing the use of digital copy of identification cards (IDs) in government transactions. In filing Senate Bill (SB) 1856, Villar explained that IDs play a significant role in society. In fact, in the Philippines, a person without a valid government issued ID will have a hard time availing and/or accessing public services (i.e. discount for PWDs and application for new government IDs) or worst will not be able to avail of these services at all, he said. The former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary said that in this digital age, almost all Philippine government offices require a person to register in its system before an ID can be acquired. “While it cannot be argued that physical IDs are still important, it is quite unusual that there is still a need to present physical ID before a person can validly transact with the government especially since the present technology allows immediate presentation/verification of a person’s ID thru photos or scanned digital copy stored in mobile phones or tablets,” Villar lamented. He emphasized that if daily transactions already allow digital payments, then presenting a digital copy of ID should be allowed during government transactions. “This is already seen as acceptable when the Philippines allowed presenting digital copy of vaccination cards before entering an establishment during the height of COVID-19 pandemic,” he pointed out. Villar explained that dispensing the presentation of physical IDs would help ease government transactions. SB 1856 seeks to allow digital copy of IDs during government transactions except to those that have international application. This will require all government agencies that issue IDs to provide an electronic mark to the physical IDs in order for verification of said ID be available during transaction, subject to the rules and regulations that the Executive shall issue once this bill is enacted into a law.