The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said all Filipino residents from age zero can register for the Philippine Identification (PhilID) card, but parents and guardians are not allowed to bring children aged 0 to 4 to registration centers.
In its September 20 Facebook post, PSA said “even babies can register for the national ID” and mothers can register their babies so they will not have a hard time getting an ID when they grow up.
PSA advised parents or guardians to bring the children’s birth certificate, which may be presented by adults who do not have other valid IDs, for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the PSA established online registration at https://register.philsys.gov.ph for Step 1, which involves the gathering of demographic information like name, gender, birthdate, birth place, age, permanent and current address, blood type, citizenship, and marital status.
After completing Step 1, registrants shall book an appointment for the Step 2 biometrics phase. Iris scan, fingerprints, and front-facing photographs will be recorded at registration centers. The Philippine Postal Corporation will deliver the national ID cards. The entire process is free of charge.
Over 32 million Filipinos have completed the Step 2 biometrics registration as of September 24 and at least 1.9 million national ID cards have already been delivered.
Signed into law by President Duterte in August 2018, RA 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens.
The national ID shall be a valid proof of identity that will be a means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrollment in schools, opening of bank accounts, and boost efficiency in dealing with government services where people will only need to present one ID during transactions.