President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure that will establish a single national identification system in the country.
The Philippine Identification System Act was signed by Duterte Monday afternoon on the same day of the ceremonial signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
The president said that a single and streamlined national identification system would reduce corruption, avoid fraudulent transactions and enhance governance.
The president doused concerns on possible violations of privacy and security, saying there is no basis for apprehension in the new ID system as the Philippine Statistics Authority would work closely with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and other concerned agencies.
The bill’s author and sponsor Sen. Panfilo Lacson welcomed the signing of the measure.
"At long last, we now have a law that break the formidable barriers between government and the downtrodden and the poor due to the lack of identification,” Lacson said.
The law established the Philippine ID System or PhilSys—the government’s central identification platform on all residents and resident aliens in the country.
The ID card will contain the bearer’s identification system number, full name, facial image, date of birth, address and fingerprints.
The initial application and issuance, as well as the renewal of PhilSys ID for Filipino citizens, will be free of charge.
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