The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said it is currently conducting an investigation into the discovery of national IDs in a garbage disposal in Negros Occidental, emphasizing that it is an isolated incident.

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said the PSA will collaborate with the Philippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) to gather information and conduct a thorough investigation into the discarded Philippine Identification Cards (PhilIDs).

Mapa also said that the PSA will collaborate with barangay officials in Negros Occidental to ensure a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

Approximately 100 national IDs were allegedly found in a garbage dump in Barangay Tiling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, as per social media reports. The incident gained attention, with a viral video circulating online.

“The agency assures the public that this is an isolated case,” Mapa said in a statement.

The PSA chief noted that the protection and security of the data belonging to Philippine Identification System-registered (PhilSys) individuals are given the highest priority by the agency.

He added that stringent protocols have also been implemented to ensure the careful handling of PhilIDs and ePhilIDs.

“Following the release of official incident reports, both agencies [PSA and PhilPost] commit to addressing any gaps found in the system of delivery to ensure that the incident will not occur again,” Mapa said.

Lastly, Mapa assured that the PSA is fully committed to protecting the data of registered individuals.

“The PSA remains strongly committed to its mandate of ensuring the security of registered persons' data from the first step of registration up to the distribution of PhilIDs and ePhilIDs,” the official concluded.