Philippine Identification System Pilot Testing has begun

On September 2, the pilot test registration involving a small number of individuals from the National Capital Region (NCR) has started. This includes select Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) beneficiaries and employees of PSA and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“The PSA sees the utmost importance for the PhilSys to first undergo a series of pilot testing before finally launching it to the public. We want to ensure that the processes are efficient, the systems are fully functional, and all information within the system are secure,” Usec. Mapa added.

The pilot test registration will run from September 2019 until June 2020. The first part will involve biometric and demographic capturing processes. Once the system is stable, operations will expand to cover select groups from nearby regions, Regions III and IV-A, based on different geographical typologies.

Set to begin on May 2020, the PSA will extend the pilot registration process to test the end-to-end system which essentially involves deduplication, generation of unique PhilSys Numbers (PSN), and card printing and issuance.

Registration will be scaled-up and open to the public by July 2020. Overseas Filipinos are targeted to be registered in 2021.

Data Privacy and Security

“We, at the PSA and our partners in PhilSys, take very seriously the responsibility to ensure the security and integrity of the personal data of Filipinos. Given that the PhilSys as a highly technical and complex program, we are pushing with multiple pilot testing to continuously improve the system and level up it security features before launching it to the public,” Usec. Mapa said.

The Data Privacy Act of 2012 and the PhilSys Act have strict controls over what circumstances the data in the PhilSys registry can be accessed and shared. Furthermore, the Privacy-by-Design features ensure that PSN-holders have full control over the access and use of their personal data.

A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) will also be conducted this year to identify potential exposures with the privacy of personal information to which data privacy and security frameworks and standards will be anchored. Part of this will be the Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) to test the integrity of the system.

The PhilSys Data Privacy Manual, as well as the Data Governance Framework, will further outline the privacy and data protection protocols and standards that will govern PhilSys operations.

Further, the PSA has designated Data Privacy Officers – one for the PSA and one solely for the PhilSys.

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), who have the mandate and capability to secure and protect the data of the Philippine Government, have oversight of the program as part of the PhilSys Policy and Coordination Council (PSPCC).

Benefits and uses

The aim of the PhilSys is to provide a valid proof of identity for all Filipinos and resident aliens, which will make access to government and private sector services simpler, quicker, and faster and eliminate the need to provide most other forms of identification when transacting.

This will support Government initiatives in boosting social protection and financial inclusion and accelerating the Philippines’ shift towards an inclusive and trusted digital economy.

In particular, the PSA identified priority use case agencies whose existing systems will be synchronized to PhilSys. Deemed as the use cases with the most significant impact in relation to social protection and financial inclusion, these agencies are DSWD, PhilHealth, Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and BSP.

The PhilID, however, does not and will not replace existing government identification cards that serve a purpose beyond identity authentication, such as the driving license (for driving), passport (for travel), and UMID (for social security transactions), etc.

It will be used for application for eligibility, services, and access to (1) social welfare and benefits granted by the government; (2) passports, driver’s license, (3) tax-related transactions, (4) admission in schools and government hospitals, (5) opening of bank accounts, (6) registration and voting purposes, (7) transactions for employment purposes, (8) cardholder’s criminal records and clearances.