THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Davao expects some one million Dabawenyos to register in the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) or national identification (ID) system by mid-2022.
PSA-Davao officer-in-charge Peptio Amoyen said the data is based on the 2015 population census of Davao City which reached 1,632,991.
He said they hope to encourage Dabawenyos to register in the PhilSys since it is not obligatory.
Amoyen said applying for PhilSys will be beneficial as it would serve as a single official identification card for all citizens and resident aliens of the Philippines.
President Rodrigo Duterte, in August 2018, signed the law of the creation of PhilSys, a database for information regarding residents and foreigners in the country. PhilSys is composed of PhilSys policy and coordination council.
At present, a pilot testing is being conducted in some areas in the country, wherein Davao City is one of them.
Amoyen clarified that the registration of the pilot testing, which started last September 2, is not yet open for the public.
He said only certain government employees - PSA, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) are being tested for the Philsys.
“Dili pa open for private individuals ang registration sa national ID. This is to test and enhance the Philsys, and business process kay basin naay glitches (The registration of the national ID is not yet open for private individuals. This is to test and enhance the Philsys, and business process to ensure that there will be no glitches),” Amoyen said.
He said selecting PSA and Neda, which are the oversight agency in the registration, will ensure the effectiveness of the system and glitches will be addressed immediately.
“We take [this] very seriously to ensure the security and integrity of personal data of Filipinos and resident aliens,” Amoyen said.
He admitted that PSA is taking time on its implementation despite a year has passed after the law was signed.
“There is a little room for error. We should not sacrifice speed for quality. Identity system is not a simple undertaking,” Amoyen said.
Based on the timeframe set by PSA, the mass registration will start in 2020, and is expected to be completed by mid-2022.