The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Negros Occidental reported that out of the 2,665,322 million who registered for the National Identification System in Negros Occidental, 1,791,000 have already received their plastic IDs as of May 2024.
PSA-Negros Occidental focal person Aira de la Banda said this represents more than half of those who registered, as the office continues the campaign for those who have not yet applied for the national ID.
She clarified that the ID is not compulsory, although every Filipino is encouraged to have one because it has become one of the primary IDs in the country.
On the national level, 86,721, 951 Filipinos have registered to have a national ID as of July 2024, and 50,845,453 have already received their plastic IDs, as of May this year, according to the PHLPost Central Office.
De la Banda said those who have not received their IDs may temporarily have them on paper form from the PSA by presenting their transaction slip. In case of a lost slip, they can still retrieve it at the PSA office, she added.
The PSA also advised those who have not received their plastic ID to track down or access https://tracking.phlpost.gov.ph/ and enter the 29-digit Transaction Reference Number on the transaction slip issued after successful PhilSys registration.
After clicking the “Track” icon and the screen shows “Not Found,” the PhlID card is still in process and has not yet been handed over to PHLPost for delivery, the PSA website said.
According to De la Banda, the national ID initially met rejection as it had no signature. She explained, however, that the biometric has sufficient details of a person and the absence of the signature is intentional, since based on current international standards, signatures can be forged, rendering them obsolete.
Also, elders tend to change their signature stroke due to old age. Therefore, the Republic Act 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act Implementing Rules and Regulation did away with the signature, she noted.
In Bacolod City, national ID registration continues at SM City Bacolod and Ayala Malls Capitol Central, and the PSA schedule visits to barangays for ID registration. (PIA-6 Negros Occidental)