PARENTS and guardians can now register their children aged zero to four years old through the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).
Edwina Carriaga, chief administrative officer of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 7, emphasized that including children under five years old in the PhilSys registration demonstrates the government’s commitment to inclusivity, ensuring every Filipino is included in the national database regardless of age.
Carriaga told SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, that children are eligible to receive either the physical national ID cards (PhilID) or the electronic copy (ePhilID) of the ID.
EPhilID is a proactive strategy of the PSA that allows more Filipinos to immediately enjoy the benefits of PhilSys registration even without receiving the physical card.
“Indeed, the intention is that despite how young they are, they will have proof of identity. So, we will release the ID to them,” she said.
Carriaga said this initiative aims to streamline access to various government services and benefits while enhancing the efficiency of public administration.
In August 2018, former president Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, establishing the national ID as the primary identification platform for all Filipino citizens, resident aliens, and foreigners who have resided in the Philippines for at least a year.
However, Carriaga noted that it was only earlier this month when the PSA central office approved the registration of children aged below five years old.
She added that the registration for alien residents or foreigners who have resided in the Philippines for at least a year has not yet started.
Carriaga said the only required documents for PhilSys registration for registrants aged below five are a birth certificate from either the PSA or the local civil registrar and the presence of the guardian with their PhilID or ePhilID card.
During the registration process, both parents or guardians of the child are required to have PhilSys registration, including a PhilSys Card Number, to ensure the smooth integration of the child’s data with theirs, she said.
Carriaga clarified that if a parent is unavailable, guardians must present additional documents, such as an authorization letter.
Other documents may include a death certificate if both parents are deceased and an agency ID if the child is under the care of an institution.
Carriaga said parents only need to provide demographic information and a front-facing photo of the children.
However, she noted that upon reaching the age of five, they must return to the registration center to provide their biometric data, including iris and fingerprint scanning.
Carriaga said the same existing PhilSys registration centers in different areas, including various malls and government centers, may process the registration request for children five years old and below.
She said this includes the PSA 7 office at the Gaisano Capital Mall building on Colon St. in Cebu City.
Meanwhile, the region’s PhilSys registration tally stood at 6,521,136 as of Dec. 31, 2023, based on data from PSA 7 director Ariel Florendo, representing 91 percent of the target of 7.2 million registrations for the previous year.
The data, released last Wednesday, revealed the distribution of registrations across the region.
Cebu leads with 4,140,045 registrations, followed by Negros Oriental with 1,150,746, Bohol with 1,139,677 and Siquijor with 90,668 registrations.
Additionally, Carriaga said at least 4,343,723 PhilIDs have been issued in Central Visayas, accounting for 66 percent of the total registered individuals in the region, with some 2,243,106 ePhilIDs issued. / KJF