Philippine Identification System (digital passport)

2020: Start of registration of citizens of Philippines in the national system of identification

In the middle of October, 2020 Philippines began registration of citizens in the national system of identification to develop an electronic payment system and to simplify access to financial services for needy people without bank accounts. All citizens of Philippines and resident aliens will receive electronic passports where such information as a name, a floor, date of birth, the birthplace, a blood type, the address and nationality should be registered. Also in a system biometric data - fingerprints, photos of the person and results of scanning of an iris of an eye will be used.

A new system will assign to each citizen unique number which can be used in different state and private bodies. The government hopes that such system will make financial services more available to workers with low income and also will simplify providing public services.

Philippines began registration of citizens in the national system of identification to develop an electronic payment system

Officials of the Philippine statistical agency will visit houses of citizens for collecting of personal information and should complete this stage before the expiration of powers of the president Rodrigo Duterte in June, 2022. It is planned that a system will begin work already in the second half of 2021 with such services as issue of visas. Poll showed that 73% of the population support a new system of electronic passports, and collecting of personal information by the state does not cause in citizens of special concern.

The acting as the secretary of National administration of economy and development Karl Kendrick Chua noted that the electronic system of identity certificates will accelerate growth of digital economy of Philippines. He hoped that the national system of electronic passports will expand use of electronic payments both in state, and in the private sector.^[1]

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