Directing All Government Agencies to Prepare for the Implementation of the PhilSys and Its Integration into Government Processes, Databases, Systems and Services

February 07, 2022

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 95

DIRECTING ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, OFFICES, INSTRUMENTALITIES, AS WELL AS LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS, TO PREPARE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PHILIPPINE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND ITS INTEGRATION INTO GOVERNMENT PROCESSES, DATABASES, SYSTEMS AND SERVICES

WHEREAS, Section 2 of Republic Act (RA) No. 11055 or the "Philippine Identification System Act," established the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) as the single national identification system for citizens and resident aliens of the country, to promote seamless delivery of services, improve efficiency, transparency and targeted delivery of public social services, as well as to enhance administrative governance, reduce corruption, curtail bureaucratic red-tape, avert fraudulent transactions, strengthen financial inclusion, and promote ease of doing business;

WHEREAS, under Section 3 of RA No. 11055, the PhilSys shall provide citizens and resident aliens with sufficient proof of identity as a means of simplifying public and private transactions, with the view of eliminating the need to present other forms of identification especially when transacting with the government;

WHEREAS, Section 7 of RA No. 11055: (i) directs all government agencies, including government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs), to incorporate in their identification systems and databases the PhilSys Number (PSN) of covered individuals, which shall be the standard number for an individual across all agencies of the government; and (ii) provides that the Philippine Identification (PhilID) serves as the official government-issued identification document for dealing with all national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), GOCCs and government financial institutions (GFIs);

WHEREAS, Section 12 of RA No. 11055 provides that for purposes of establishing proof of identity for transacting business with any government agency and the private sector, the presentation of the PhilID or PSN shall constitute sufficient proof thereof, subject to proper authentication;

WHEREAS, Section 13 of RA No. 11055 provides that: (i) the PhilID shall be honored and accepted, subject to authentication, in all transactions requiring proof or verification of a citizen's or a resident alien's identity; and (ii) the PSN and biometrics of an individual, as authenticated through the PhilSys, shall be honored and accepted, notwithstanding the absence or non-presentation of a PhilID;

WHEREAS, Section 20 of RA No. 11055 mandates the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to gradually synchronize and consolidate all existing government-initiated identification systems into a single integrated and interconnected identification system; and

WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to direct the whole-of-government to undertake preparatory steps to ensure that the PhilSys and its key components are properly integrated in the processes, databases, systems and services of all government agencies, to facilitate interconnectivity, make transacting with the government convenient and cost-efficient for the benefit of the general public, and ensure the effective implementation of RA No. 11055;

NOW, THEREFORE, the following are hereby ordered:

SECTION 1. Integration of PhilSys into Government Processes, Databases, Identification Systems and Services. — All government agencies, instrumentalities, departments, bureaus, offices, LGUs, GOCCs, GFIs, state universities and colleges, as well as other chartered institutions (hereafter "Covered Agencies") are hereby directed to incorporate and integrate in their respective processes, databases, identification systems and services, the PSN and PhilID of registered individuals, as well as the other components and features of the PhilSys. It is understood, however, that the PhilSys integration shall not grant Covered Agencies access, in any form, to the PhilSys Registry.

The Covered Agencies shall prioritize PhilSys integration to enable the use of PhilSys-enabled services, involving, among others, online authentication processes and proper controls for the PhilID, including features such as real-time authentication and validation, as established by the PSA, within two (2) years from the launching of the said services in their respective agencies. Towards this end, all Covered Agencies shall perform the following:

a. Identify processes and services within their respective agencies that can utilize the PhilSys, to enable, among others, online and paperless transactions, as well as the removal of duplicates and ghost records from registries;

b. Determine the appropriate types and quantity of biometric authentication devices that need to be procured;

c. Develop their respective 2-year work plans (PhilSys Integration Plan), indicating the activities to be covered by the integration initiative, the timelines to fully implement said integration, the responsible units therefor, and the budget for the same;

d. Incorporate PhilSys integration as a priority initiative in their respective strategic plans and programs, such as the Information System Strategic Plan;

e. Coordinate with and enter into formal agreements with the PSA to ensure successful, efficient and effective implementation of the PhilSys integration; and

f. Publish in their respective annual reports, or in any equivalent document, the agency's PhilSys Integration Plan, including the status of its implementation.

Consistent with Section 18 of RA No. 11055, reasonable and appropriate organizational, technical, and physical security measures shall be put in place in the planning and implementation of the PhilSys integration, to ensure that PhilSys Registry, as well as other registered information, are protected from unauthorized access, use and disclosure, and against accidental or intentional loss, destruction or damage.

SECTION 2. Monitoring. — All Covered Agencies are directed to submit to the PhilSys Policy and Coordination Council (PSPCC), their PhilSys Integration Plans within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Circular. For purposes of monitoring compliance with the herein directives, all Covered Agencies are required to submit quarterly status reports to the PSPCC until completion of their respective workplans.

SECTION 3. PSA Support. — The PSA, through its PhilSys Registry Office, is directed to support the Covered Agencies, as well as the private sector, in the planning, analysis, integration, piloting and scaling of use cases.

SECTION 4. Interoperability of Databases and Systems. — The PSA, together with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), shall ensure that all information databases and systems to be developed by government entities shall be synchronized to facilitate interoperability of government-initiated identification systems, ensure efficient and more reliable government transactions, and secure access to information and services. In this regard, the DICT shall ensure that future information technology developments of the government shall include the PSN as a field, and shall be fully capable of being integrated with the PhilSys.

SECTION 5. Repeal. — All issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Circular, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 6. Effectivity. — This Circular shall take effect immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 7th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Two.

 

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 118, No. 7, p. 1221 on February 14, 2022.