TO PROMOTE financial inclusion, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have partnered with GCash to pilot test the National ID eVerify platform.
The initiative, led by the PSA and the DICT, aims to provide a secure and seamless way for government agencies and private sector partners to authenticate their customers’ identities.
For financial institutions like GCash, this platform enables a faster and more secure know-your-customer (KYC) process by reliably verifying customer identities, reducing physical requirements and speeding up account openings.
The National ID eVerify platform helps prevent document fraud by verifying the authenticity of civil registry documents issued by the PSA.
Ren-Ren Reyes, president and chief executive officer of GCash mobile wallet operator G-Xchange Inc., in a statement emphasized that this centralized authentication process enhances user trust and security, fostering financial inclusion.
“At GCash, trust and security are at the core of our work for our customers. When we secure our services through a centralized authentication process, we can ensure the legitimacy of all our users through the National ID. We are better positioned to foster financial inclusion for more Filipinos when we have safer financial platforms,” she said.
Reyes noted that IDs issued through the PSA’s Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), including PhilIDs and ePhilIDs, are already among the most commonly presented valid IDs for GCash account verification.
Undersecretary Dennis Mapa of the PSA and Undersecretary David Almirol Jr. of the DICT highlighted the benefits of this collaboration in improving efficiency and supporting the government’s digitalization agenda.
“The National eVerify will streamline and improve the way we do things in the government. This will amplify and simplify private and government consumption. If we are able to implement this well with the help of both the private and government sectors, the digital transformation in the Philippines will come to fruition. Efficient services shall be delivered to the Filipino people. No long queues in government offices. Filipinos can now process documents and apply private and government services in the comfort of their homes,” he said.
Frederick Go, Secretary and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs, also noted that this initiative is just the beginning of its strategic partnership with PSA, DICT and GCash, as they share the goal of providing vital assistance to the most vulnerable communities in the country.
Currently, GCash is closely working with the PSA and the DICT to ensure seamless integration with the eVerify platform. / KOC