The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has started the registration process for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) in six local government units in Negros Occidental, including this capital city.

This is part of the small-scale and gradual rollout of the Step 2 PhilSys registration for individuals who have already taken the first step, or the pre-registration last year.

Luis Gonzales, chief statistical specialist of PSA-Negros Occidental, told the Philippine News Agency that they opened the registration centers on Tuesday in the cities of Bacolod and Silay while those in Bago City and Murcia town will follow on Wednesday.

In this city, the PhilSys registration center is located in Rizal Elementary School campus while in Silay, it is at the Old puericulture center building at the back of city hall.

The first two LGUs, Valladolid and San Enrique towns, started the enlistment process on Feb. 3, he added.

Gonzales said the PSA-Negros Occidental has deployed 72 registration kits to the six LGUs.

“Those who have been pre-registered since October last year will receive a text message, informing them of their schedule for Step 2 and instructing them to proceed to their respective registration centers,” he added.

Step 2 registration process involves the validation of supporting documents and capturing the registrants’ biometric information, such as fingerprints, iris scans, and front-facing photographs.

Gonzales said it is possible that the initial Step 2 registrants in Negros Occidental will be among those who will receive the first batch of national ID cards that will be printed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

In Negros Occidental, 808,387 low-income household heads and members have been pre-registered for the PhilSys, based on the data of PSA-Western Visayas.

Last November, some 381 PhilSys registration kits arrived in Negros Occidental, of which 363, including the 72 deployed to the first six LGUs, have been prepared for distribution to all 32 LGUs across the province, including Bacolod.

Signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in August 2018, Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens.

The national ID shall be a valid proof of identity that shall be a means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrollment in schools, and the opening of bank accounts.

It will also boost efficiency, especially in dealing with government services where people will only need to present one ID during transactions. (PNA)