Leveraging the national digital identity system

DIGITAL PhilID is here to stay, and an overwhelming adoption of biometrics in the Philippines might soon happen. Through the single national identification system, businesses and organizations could be granted access to citizen data without the hassle of verifying a physical identity card. But, for most, it's not a simple plug-and-play. Businesses must assess their needs and see how the integration of digital ID verification systems could complement their existing business processes, while providing seamless experience, convenience, and security. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made the order to accelerate the digitalization of the National Identification system during a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council on Digital Infrastructure early this year.

With the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the governments of the Philippines and Singapore, digital ID interoperability between the two countries is likely on the way. Anna Maye Yu Lamentillo, spokesman and undersecretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), revealed that this MoU centers on digital connectivity, cybersecurity, digital government/e-governance, and digital identity. During an interview with Frederic Ho, vice president of Asia Pacific at Jumio, we delved into the importance of digital identity verification and authentication. As a provider of automated, end-to-end identity proofing, risk assessment and eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) solutions, Jumio predicts more industries would leverage biometric authentication in their innovations and regulations to improve users' experience while strengthening safeguards against cyberattacks.