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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider UP becomes country's first university authorized for government digital certificate system

UP becomes country's first university authorized for government digital certificate system

Published May 18, 2026 01:10 pm

At A Glance

  • Digital certificates under the Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure support secure electronic signatures and authenticated digital transactions, allowing workflows such as remote document approval, inter-campus administrative processing, authenticated university records, and paperless authorization of official transactions.
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The University of the Philippines (UP) became the first Philippine university authorized to operate as a Registration Authority under the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI), enabling identity verification and enrollment for government-recognized digital certificates across the UP System.
Digital certificates under the PNPKI support secure electronic signatures and authenticated digital transactions, allowing workflows such as remote document approval, inter-campus administrative processing, authenticated university records, and paperless authorization of official transactions.
The arrangement is expected to reduce processing delays, strengthen accountability, and improve operational efficiency across geographically distributed offices and units within the UP System.
“Real public service in the digital age depends not only on access, but on trusted authentication,” UP Vice President for Digital Transformation Peter A. Sy said during the launch on May 13.
Sy also emphasized that as more public transactions shift to digital platforms, institutions carry greater responsibility in verifying stakeholder identities, securing authorizations, and maintaining trust in digital records and approvals.
The activation integrates UP into the Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI), the government framework for trusted digital identities and legally recognized electronic signatures established under Executive Order No. 810, s. 2009.
Through the arrangement, designated UP Registration Authority Officers and Registration Authority Assistants may process certificate applications and facilitate revocation requests for members of the UP community.
“This milestone reflects our shared commitment to advancing e-governance through collaboration, innovation, and public service,” said Supervising Director Ahmed Genesis F. Simon of the DICT Government Digital Transformation Bureau-Digital Certificate Division
“As we move forward, may we continue to work together with humility, integrity, and purpose, always remembering that technology is most meaningful when it serves the people,” Simon added.
UP’s designation makes it the first entity outside DICT to assume the role, distributing the operational load while leveraging the university’s decentralized structure.
Each constituent university operates its own IT office, Human Resources Development Office, and digital innovation unit, supporting institution-wide PKI implementation across geographically dispersed campuses.
The initiative strengthens cybersecurity across UP transactions and supports the university’s Policy on Electronic Documents and Signatures as part of its broader digital transformation agenda.
The pioneer batch of officers has formally received their crypto tokens after completing PNPKI Registration Authority training and DICT-prescribed qualification requirements.
They will begin processing applications from UP faculty, staff, and administrative offices in the coming weeks under a three-year DICT–UP Memorandum of Agreement, subject to joint review and renewal.

Related Tags

UP UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DICT DIGITAL CERTIFICATE SYSTEM
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