The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) was cited for its efforts in registering almost 87 million Filipinos to the National ID system by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate (UNSGSA) for Inclusive Finance for Development.

Queen Máxima recognized the efforts of the PSA in the National ID system in a strategic dialogue with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Present in the dialogue are key officials of the NEDA and its attached agencies. Present in the meeting are Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, NEDA Undersecretary Krystal Lyn T. Uy, PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis S. Mapa, PhD, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General, Development Academy of the Philippines President Majah-Leah Ravago, Philippine Institute for Development Studies President Aniceto C. Orbeta Jr., and NEDA Directors Frances Fatima M. Cabana and Generose B. Manlangit.  

NEDA Secretary Balisacan (3rd from left) and PSA Undersecretary Mapa (4th from left) meet with Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and UNSGSA for Inclusive Finance for Development. Photo courtesy of NEDA.

“We are honored by the recognition from Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands for our efforts on the National ID system. Her insights on the importance of the National ID in creating a more financially inclusive society motivate us to continue our work to bring the National ID and its benefits closer to more Filipinos,” said PSA Undersecretary Mapa.

The National ID system’s provision of valid proof of identity is meant to simplify public and private transactions, and to serve as a platform in promoting seamless social service delivery and strengthening financial inclusion for both public and private services. It is also seen as a driver of financial inclusion as it enables access to various financial products and services.

Notwithstanding a pandemic, the PSA partnered with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) to implement a colocation strategy where registered persons were able to open transactional accounts with LANDBANK for free in registration centers right after their National ID registration.

LANDBANK recorded 108,473 transactions made by registered persons through their mobile banking application, point-of-sale (POS), and over-the-counter transactions through various Landbank branches amounting to PhP 275.8 million.

The strategy resulted in 7.5 million additional BDAs in the latter part of 2022. This contributed to a 170 percent increase in the number of Filipinos who opened BDAs from the first quarter of 2022 to the same period in 2023, as reported by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Moreover, one of the leading mobile wallets in the country reported that the National ID and ePhilID are the most presented valid IDs for account verification.

Quick Links:

• Website: https://philsys.gov.ph
• Facebook page: https://facebook.com/PSAPhilSysOfficial 
• National ID/ePhilID authentication: https://verify.philsys.gov.ph

-    PhilSys Registry Office