The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has again called on all BSP-supervised financial institutions (BSFIs) to prioritize the use of the National ID in all its formats and to utilize the National ID Check to authenticate the Philippine identification card (PhilID).
In a memo (BSP Memorandum No. 2024-026) released Monday, Aug. 12, BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier is reminding banks and non-banks to accept all formats of the National ID, including the Digital National ID, as an official government-issued identification document of a person and a valid and primary proof of identity, subject to authentication; the use of the National ID Check (https://everify.gov.ph/check) to verify the authenticity of the National ID and its other recognized formats; and to include the Digital National ID in the list of acceptable valid IDs.
“BSFIs are also encouraged to integrate with the National ID System through an application to the National ID Authentication Services,” said Fonacier, adding that BSFIs should directly coordinate with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on this.
Meanwhile, Fonacier said the National ID Check was developed to be used by all relying parties or RPs such as BSFIs, to authenticate the National ID.
She recommended for BSFIs to access https://everify.gov.ph/check, a website that allows users to verify and authenticate the Digital National ID by scanning its QR code.
“The PSA advised that this website is recommended for low-risk transactions. To ensure higher assurance of verification, RPs are strongly encouraged to onboard with the PSA through an application to the National ID Authentication Services via the National ID eVerify (https://everify.gov.ph/),” said Fonacier.
Last March, the BSP directed BSFIs to prioritize the PhilID and to place it at the top of the list of acceptable valid IDs.
The BSP also said all BSFIs should have enhanced measures for the full acceptance of the PhilID as a valid and sufficient proof of identity and age in all financial transactions, subject to authentication.
Also in February, the BSP issued a memo reiterating that BSFIs should make the National ID as the first choice of identifying card, digital or physical card.
The BSP said the PhilID as the National ID should be the first one to be presented as identification when dealing with all national government agencies, local government units, government-owned or controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and all private sector entities.
Republic Act No. 11055 or the PhilSys Act and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations provide that an individual’s record in the PhilSys will be considered as an official and sufficient proof of identity.
Besides a priority ID, the PhilID is a sufficient proof of identity in lieu of a birth certificate to apply for marriage licenses; Land Transportation Office student permits and conductor’s licenses; enrollment for kindergarten, first grade, and Philippine Educational Placement Test passers; as well as Professional Regulation Commission and Bar Licensure Examinations.
In 2022, the BSP even encouraged BSFI customers to report to the BSP if any of the banks or non-banks they transact with will not accept PhilID.
Since 2021, the BSP has instructed all banks and non-banks to accept the National ID as sufficient proof of identity to open a bank account.
The BSP in the past received random reports of banks refusing to accept the PhilID to validate a depositor’s identity because the card itself does not display the person’s signature.
The BSP refers these banks or non-banks that do not accept the National ID to its Financial System Integrity Department (FSID), formerly known as the Anti-Money Laundering Specialist Group, for investigation.