Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 19) President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday urged Filipinos to take advantage of the government’s national ID system.
In a pre-recorded speech during the ceremonial event, the country’s top leader asked the public to participate in the mass registration for the Philippine Identification System or PhilSys.
“As we pursue this long-overdue project, I ask every Filipino to give PhilSys a chance,” Duterte said. “So we may maximize the advantages of a universal and secure database that will make transactions more efficient, and our lives more convenient.”
Duterte also assured that the national ID system will “uphold the privacy of all personal information.”
As the country continues its fight against the COVID-19, Duterte said that Filipinos should still observe health protocols when they register for the ID.
As of December, 10.6 million Filipinos already pre-registered for step one of the PhilSys, which includes the collection of demographic information, such as gender, date of birth, blood type, and address. That first step allows households to set up an appointment for the capture of biometrics fingerprint, iris scan, and photograph.
The government started conducting its house-to-house collection last October, covering low-income households residing in low-risk COVID transmission areas in 32 provinces. On Friday, the government said it will soon allow the public to register online.
Late last year, Duterte said he wanted 92 million Filipinos to have a “legal identity” by the end of his term.
READ: Duterte wants 92M Filipinos given ID by end of his term in 2022
RELATED: Duterte approves addt’l 3.52-B funding for national ID system
President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday urged Filipinos to take advantage of the government’s national ID system.
