More than 9 million Filipinos in 32 targeted provinces have completed the first step in registering in the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), also known as the National ID system, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said on Thursday. During the #AskNEDA yearend briefing, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua cited the Philippine Statistics Authority in saying that “as of December 14, 2020, a total of 9,004,546 went through [the] Step 1 registration, which means the collection of demographic data [exceeded] the 9-million target for 2020.” Registering for the National ID system involves three steps: the collection of demographic information; the recording of biometrics and validation; and issuance of the PhilSys number and ID. In a separate statement, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the current pace for the first step allowed his agency to increase its initial target of 9 million Filipinos to 11 million this year.
