QUEZON CITY (PIA) — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is accelerating efforts to expand the National ID program, aiming to improve access to essential services for millions of Filipinos.
The agency is facing challenges in ID delivery but is implementing decentralized printing operations at provincial offices later this year to address this.
Claire Dennis Mapa, the PSA undersecretary and national statistician, announced that the agency is currently processing 60,000 IDs from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). This is part of a broader strategy to ensure the timely delivery of national identification cards to all registrants.
“We are actively engaging with alternative service providers to streamline our printing process,” Mapa said, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to making national IDs accessible to Filipinos nationwide.
As of now, approximately 90.5 million citizens have registered for the National ID program. The PSA has printed 55.5 million cards, with 53.8 million already distributed to registrants. Mapa confirmed that 1.7 million physical cards are currently in transit, facilitated by the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) and PSA staff.
In addition to physical IDs, the PSA has issued paper national IDs (ePhilIDs) to approximately 46 million individuals, and 18.4 million users have access to their digital IDs. “Our goal is to ensure that most registrants have at least one of these important credentials,” Mapa stated.
The expanded National ID program is expected to significantly improve access to essential services, including healthcare, banking, and government transactions, thereby enhancing financial inclusion and social benefits for Filipinos.
The PSA is committed to addressing any existing challenges to ensure that the National ID serves as a vital tool for empowerment and accessibility in the digital age. (JEG/PIA-NCR)
