One of the things that Filipinos are accomplishing these days is to secure a Philippine National ID. 

The Philippine Identification Systems Act (RA 10055) was signed into law in August 2018 which aims to establish a single national identification system for all Filipino citizens and resident aliens. The national ID system will also help the government easily identify individuals from different economic, cultural, and disadvantaged groups. Moreover, the national ID will be used in any other means, such as doing digital transactions and avoiding fraudulent transactions among fellow Filipino citizens.

Since the start of 2021, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) had started rolling out registration lists for each city and municipality in the country. At first, representatives from PSA went to gather information from everyone and wrote them on a piece of paper. In March 2021, they have announced that the registration for the National ID will be online (you may check it out here). 

The national ID system has two steps: first, is the online or paper registration, and the second is the biometrics registration. The biometrics include fingerprint capture, retina scan, and photo capture. Individuals ages five years and up can register for national ID. 

At this point, people are still confused about which is the right way to register.

Based on the press releases by PSA, all available methods for the national registration, both paper and digital are acceptable. The only question that Filipinos have in mind is: when will we have our turn?

Here are the ways to register for the national ID system:

1. For those who have registered for Step 1 via a PSA representative coming into your place, there is no need for you to register online. You have to wait for your schedule for the biometrics which will take months to be scheduled.

2. For those who have registered for Step 1 via the PSA online registration system, you can wait for the appointment schedule in your area. The online registration will generate an appointment number and registration number on which you will submit on the day of your appointment. PSA will be going to each city and municipality in the Philippines so be patient in waiting for an update on your online registration.

3. Walk-in registration. Big shopping malls like SM and Robinson's all over the Philippines have opened their doors to allow walk-in registration for Steps 1 and 2. However, please note that there is a limited number of registrations accommodated daily so please be early should you decide to choose this option. Know how many registrations that each walk-in center can accommodate first (it can vary from 150-300 registrants daily), what time do they start giving out numbered forms to the registrants so you can plan your day very well. The ages of the individuals allowed for walk-in registration depend on the IATF rules. Some areas already allow individuals as young as 15 years old, some allow 18 years old and above only.  

When you have decided to do a walk-in registration, please bring two valid IDs as they will scan them. Make sure that the ID that you will bring bear an ID number. You can bring either of the following IDs: driver's license, PRC license, SSS/UMID ID, passport, postal ID, voter's ID, PSA birth certificate, valid school ID with a visible student number.

On capturing your photo, women should not wear heavy make-up. Remove contact lenses (colored and prescription) for a retina scan. Earrings should also be removed. Wear appropriate clothing (no sleeveless top).

During the walk-in registration, a printout of the registration will be given to you bearing a QR code. PLEASE DO NOT LOSE IT. You can also take a photo of the said paper should you misplace the paper. You will not be able to claim your ID if you lost the paper.

I will also suggest that you bring a book or your work (if you're doing a remote job) if you will choose to do a walk-in registration.

Kib and I were done with the national ID registration, we will just have to wait for the delivery of the IDs in 3-6 months.

If you have time, you may opt for #3, but if you can wait and want to be sure of the slot, register online and wait for the appointment schedule. I would suggest registering all your family members under one mobile number only for easy tracking of the appointment schedule.

Be counted! Register now!