The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reminded that national IDs should be accepted in financial institutions supervised by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSFIs) even without signatures.
In a statement, the PSA said that financial institutions can utilize QR codes embedded in the national IDs and their electronic counterparts (ePhilID) through the PhilSys Check for authentication “instead of relying on handwritten signatures that can be easily forged.”
READ: PSA's PhilSys Check streamlines detection of fake national IDs
The PSA was affirming Memorandum No. 2024-006 issued by the BSP last month which reiterated that the national ID should be accepted as a valid and sufficient proof of identity.
The offline identity authentication tool PhilSys Check can be accessed via https://verify.philsys.gov.ph/ using the web browser of a computer, laptop, or smartphone and will require the presentation of the national ID.
The data stored in the QR code should match the information printed on the face of the ID to validate the identity of the registered person and the authenticity of the card, the memorandum reads.
“We, at the PSA, express our appreciation for the continued support of institutions in the acceptance of PhilIDs and ePhilIDs,” PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa said.
“In the same way that we encourage registered persons to utilize their PhilID or ePhilID in their transactions, we also urge our relying parties to honor the IDs issued by the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) as valid proof of identity in their establishments,” he added.
Under the same memorandum, the BSP directs banks to place the national IDs, being the official government-issued ID, on top of the list of acceptable valid IDs and be displayed in visible places within their premises and on social media.
The list of BSFIs where national ID can be used can be seen in these screenshots:
In addition, the PSA also reinstated that national IDs should be on top of the list for transactions that include availing services and applying for benefits from government programs as provided by Memorandum Circular 2024-014 issued by the Department of Interior and Local Government.
As of late February, a total of 48,415,248 national IDs have already been delivered to registered persons across the country.
Smooth verification for 4Ps beneficiaries
The PhilSys, the country’s identification system, may now be used for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries as an authentication tool for the government’s Family Development Session (FDS).
Following PSA’s partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Philsys Authentication Application has been used to verify the identification of 4Ps beneficiaries through biometric authentication.
Under the PhilSys authentication process, 4Ps beneficiaries already registered to PhilSys shall present their national IDs to a PSA personnel who will then record the individual on an attendance sheet if their name appears in the PhilSys registry.
This process allows easy verification of the beneficiary's identity and attendance to the FDS requirement.
FDS is a monthly parent group activity for the main grantees of the household as a requirement for their inclusion in the 4Ps program.
“This is the tangible use of PhilSys – the authentication of individuals to ensure that the intended beneficiaries receive the assistance they need,” Mapa said in a separate statement.
“Through this undertaking, we are already harnessing the national ID system's potential and use in changing service delivery,” he further said.
Several PhilSys registration services and ePhilID issuance were brought to the FDS throughout the country to ensure all 4Ps beneficiaries can register to PhilSys, PSA stated.
As of March, a total of 124,747 successful authentications of 4Ps beneficiaries were recorded by the statistics agency.