DICT Aims to Release the National Digital IDs by the End of the Year
NATIONAL ID – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) aims to release the national digital identifications (IDs) by the end of the year. This is in accordance with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s instruction to hasten its issuance after several delays.
“Like the rest of the public, the President has expressed his impatience because of the late issuance of the IDs,” DICT Secretary Ivan Uy said in a press briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday.
In the same press briefing, Sec. Uy pointed out the need for additional funds to finance the DICT’s effort to track down scammers and cybercriminals. He mentioned the adeptness of scammers in avoiding detection, which makes it difficult to trace and hunt them down.
Photo Source: pco.gov
Furthermore, the DICT chief stressed that if they could secure a stable DICT-PSA linkup system with seamless data migration, they could quickly deploy the digital IDs. Also, the agency has to ensure that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data are not corrupted or incomplete.
In another sectoral meeting on Tuesday, Sec. Uy met with the President, where the DICT provided updates on the implementation of the digital Philippine ID. He said that PBBM tasked the DICT a few months ago to figure out how to deploy a national ID without having to wait indefinitely for the plastic ID card. Moreover, the agency was also commissioned to come up with a plan to deploy a national digital ID that can be loaded on people’s respective mobile phones.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), PBBM wants a centralized national digital ID system that is available to all agencies, and he has been closely monitoring the completion of the project.
Early this year, the President has already ordered the quick issuance of the digital national ID. The completion of the national ID project is important because it will reduce transaction costs in the government and private sectors. This will be particularly beneficial after the launch of the one-stop-shop eGov app in June.