MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced on Wednesday (November 25) that a total of 5,788,615 Filipinos have already completed the first step of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration as of November 20.
According to the agency, the initial step included house-to-house collection of the demographic information of low-income household heads in 32 priority provinces.
These provinces include Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Davao De Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Leyte, and Tawi-tawi.
PSA also reported that 89 percent of registrants expressed that they currently do not have bank accounts which highlights the importance of obtaining a national ID, since having a formal identification is one of the requirements needed to open an account.
The ID will also allow more Filipinos to receive faster government subsidies, access legitimate financial services, and help them veer away from informal lending practices that charge excessive interest rates.
The second step of the registration process was supposed to start on November 25 until November 30 but was postponed due to the recent typhoons.
“We partnered with the Department of National Defense to transport our registration kits to the 32 provinces, but due to the recent typhoons and the resulting relief efforts, we are encountering minor delays,” said Assistant Secretary Rosalinda Bautista, Deputy National Statistician of the PhilSys Registry Office (PRO).
“We ask for the public’s understanding of the situation as the delivery of assistance to those affected by the typhoon is of utmost importance,” the official concluded. MNP / Raymund David
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