PRINTING challenges and a shortage of manpower have contributed to the delays in the issuance of Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) cards or National IDs, according to Randolph Anthony Gales, regional director of the Philippine Statistics Authority-Davao Region (PSA-Davao).
Gales pointed out that the printing issues were primarily linked to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the agency responsible for printing the IDs.
“Gani ang BSP daw nag-subcon sila para mapaspas, nangita silag laing mo-print, so mao na karon ang problema (The BSP apparently subcontracted other agencies to expedite, they were looking for other printers, so that’s the problem now that we have),” Gales said.
Some Dabawenyos interviewed by SunStar Davao confirmed the delays, revealing they have not yet received their national identification cards.
“Alan”, a virtual assistant who requested anonymity, shared that he had registered for his national ID a year and a half ago. While his older sister, who registered on the same day, received her ID last year, he still awaits his. In the vernacular, he expressed frustration, saying, “Where’s the justice? I need that ID for peace of mind, which sometimes makes me anxious.”
Similarly, “Kenji,” also not his real name, stated that he has been waiting for his national ID for over a year. Despite being told that he would be notified via email or phone when his ID was ready, he found that the provided tracking number was unhelpful as it showed his card as “not found.”
“Naay tracking number ana ‘tong staff sa PSA, ana siya i-email daw or teksan sa number if ready na daw ang national ID pero gi-search namo ang tracking wala gihapon (The PSA staff provides a tracking number, and they mentioned that it would be sent via email or text once the national ID is prepared. However, despite searching for the tracking number, it remains unavailable.),” he said.
In response, Gales explained that many delayed IDs are held either at Philippine Post (Philpost) or BSP offices.
He clarified that PSA assists with the delivery of national IDs due to the shortage of personnel at Philpost.
According to the latest data from PSA, 96 percent of the two million plastic national IDs processed at the Main Post Office in Manila have been distributed in the Davao Region.
Ariel Florendo, regional director of PSA-Central Visayas (PSA 7), noted similar delays in Central Visayas. In a SunStar Cebu report, he attributed the lag to thorough double-checking, cross-checking, and verification processes. These steps ensure accurate data alignment based on the information provided during the PhilSys registration.
PhilSys serves as the central identification platform for all Filipinos and resident aliens who have lived in the Philippines for at least one year. ICE with SSCebu