PASAY, Metro Manila — October 22, 2022, The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officially announced that they will now accept the e-PhilID as a valid government-issued ID for passport application starting on the 21st of October 2022.
To quote DFA’s advisory: “To facilitate its use as a valid ID accepted for passport application, the public is advised that the details in the printed ePhilID must be clear, readable, and contain the same details as the presented documentary requirements during the passport application.”
The e-PhilID is the printed digital version of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID or National ID, thereby making it a valid government-issued ID for passport application
The Philippine Statistics Authority further clarified that printed ePhilIDs will be issued in PhilSys registration centres nationwide. Everyone registered in the PhilSys will still receive the physical IDs even if they claim their printed ePhilID. The printed ePhilIDs will be issued in PhilSys registration centres nationwide.
Important note/s: Registered individuals can go here: https://appt.philsys.gov.ph and make an online appointment to check if they are already issued their PhilSys number to be able to claim their printed e-PhilID. Information registered on the e-PhilID shows the registrant’s full name, sex, birthdate, civil status, address, blood type, generation date, QR code, and photo.
Details on the Philippine Identification System ePhilID announcement
This is a summary of all important points declared by the Undersecretary at the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, Dennis S. Mapa:
Acceptance and usage of the PhilSys digital ID, including the printed ePhilID, as valid and sufficient proof of identity and age, subject to authentication.
- The PhilSys digital ID is a proactive strategy of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to allow registrants to immediately enjoy the benefits of being PhilSys-registered, such as better access to more financial and social protection services pursuant to Section 7 (c ) (1) of the Republic Act No. 11055 (RA 11055).
- Registrants can claim their ePhilID by setting an online appointment and presenting their transaction slip to their selected PhilSys Registration Centers on the reserved date.
- The printed ePhilID shows the person’s PhilSys Card Number (PCN) and basic demographic information such as the last name, given name, middle name and suffix (if available), sex, blood type, marital status (if declared), date and place of birth, front-facing photograph, address, generation date, and a QR Code.
- The QR code contains select demographic details and the registrant’s front-facing photograph for easier verification. It also uses public-private key cryptography to ensure that the information in the QR code cannot be tampered with.
- The printed ePhilID can be authenticated by scanning the QR code via the PhilSys Check (https://verify.philsys.gov.ph/QrScan/).
- If the ePhilID is authentic, the PhilSys Check will display a successful verification message and should match the demographic information found in the printed, as well as a front-facing photo of the person.
- The printed ePhilID shall be honored and accepted as the official government-issued identification document of a person for his or her transactions in all national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial institutions (GFIs), financial institutions, and private sector.
- Any person or entity who, without just and sufficient cause, proved to have refused to accept, acknowledge, and/or recognize the printed ePhilID as the only official identification of the holder/possessor thereof shall be penalized in accordance with Section 19 of RA No. 11055.
This is welcome news for everyone. I’d always go for streamlining processes to help save time, energy, effort and money, especially for much-needed documents and IDs. Although there is some hesitance on safety, security and confidentiality about the information recorded in the system, there is a great effort to encrypt said details.
Are you going to try using the e-PhilID? Would you rather have things documented the traditional way and avoid any government-wide ID system keeping your info on file? Let us know your opinions in the comments below. We love hearing from you guys!
