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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session
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'17 JUL18 P6*^4
SENATE
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Introduced by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE FILIPINO IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Exp 1 a na to ry N gte
The Philippines remains as one of only nine countries in the world without a national 
identification (ID) system.1 As the Philippines continues to grow rapidly, the time is ripe for us 
to establish an efficient and unified identification system to accelerate the development process 
and ensure citizens' access to the benefits brought by this growth.
Identification systems enable the government to gain a comprehensive grasp on the 
nation s demography, identify the needs of the people, and accurately target and deliver 
services to their intended beneficiaries without leakages.2 Further, a national ID system cuts the 
red tape that has long haunted our bureaucracy and makes it easier for citizens to transact with 
their government. It facilitates the public’s easy access to social services such as healthcare and 
education, as well as employment opportunities.3 Likewise, an ID system streamlines identity 
authentication, thus minimizing fraud in transactions both in the public and private sectors. 
Finally, a single integrated identification system strengthens our capability to ensure the safety 
and security of our people.
This bill seeks to establish a Filipino Identification System that aims for universal coverage 
of all Filipinos, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad. This unified and comprehensive 
database aims to address the delays and inefficiencies in transactions with the government, 
while assuring the people’s right to privacy and the security of the information contained 
therein.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
IAN MIGUEL F. ZUBIRI
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2 Id e n tity  fo r  D evelopm ent in Asia a n d  the Pacific. (2 0 1 6 ). A sian D e ve lo p m e n t Bank
3 Id.


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session
V '/'t .'ir r  of I ir ■"
•17 JUL18 P6--05
SENATE
S.B. No. 1 5 0 0
RLCLIVI Lil .
Introduced by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri
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AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE FILIPINO IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
SECTION 1. Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "Filipino Identification System Act."
SEC. 2. D e c la ra tio n  o f Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote a just and dynamic 
social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the 
people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services and an improved 
quality of life for all. A unified national identification system shall be established to streamline 
public and private transactions and eliminate bureaucratic red tape in the delivery of basic 
government services.
SEC. 3. F ilip in o  Id e n tific a tio n  System. -  The Filipino Identification System ("System”) is 
hereby established to provide official identification of all citizens of the Philippines through 
the issuance of a national identification number and Filipino Identification Card. The System 
shall consolidate all existing government-initiated identification systems into a unified, 
integrated and efficient identification system.
SEC. 4. C om ponents o f th e  F ilip in o  Id e n tific a tio n  System. -  The System shall be 
comprised of the following components:
(a) 
Common Reference Number - a unique permanent number assigned by the 
Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA) to every Filipino based on his/her PSA- 
authenticated certificate of live birth;
(b) 
Filipino Citizen Registry - the collection of records and information of persons 
enrolled in the System; and
(c) 
Filipino Identification (ID) Card - the physical medium issued to convey 
essential information about the person’s identity.
SEC. 5. Com m on R eference N um ber. -  The Common Reference Number (CRN) shall 
serve as the national identification number of every Filipino. The PSA shall establish and


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maintain a program that directly links the CRN to the corresponding person’s birth record in 
the existing civil registry database of the PSA.
SEC. 6. F ilip in o  C itizen R egistry. -  The PSA shall establish and maintain a Citizen 
Registry ("Registry") which is a collection of all records and information on persons enrolled 
into the System, such as the CRN, full name, date and place of birth, sex, civil status, address, 
signature, biometrics data, and membership numbers issued by other government agencies, 
including the Tax Identification Number (TIN) issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), 
membership numbers issued by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social 
Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth), and Home 
Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), and Voter’s Identification Number issued by the 
Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
The PSA, as the main issuing authority of the Filipino ID Card, shall institute the 
necessary measures to safeguard the confidentiality of information contained in the Registry. 
No such information shall be released to any person, agency, office or instrumentality, 
government or otherwise, except in cases enumerated in Section 11 of this Act.
SEC. 7. E n ro llm e n t in to  th e  F ilip in o  Id e n tific a tio n  System. -  After approval of this Act 
and upon full operation of the Filipino Identification System, every Filipino, whether residing 
in the Philippines or abroad, is mandated to enroll into the System. Resident citizens shall 
enroll into the System at PSA-designated Registration Centers, which shall have the necessary 
facilities to capture the data required to be contained in the Registry. Filipinos residing abroad 
shall enroll at the appropriate Philippine Embassy or Consular Office at the country of 
residence.
Every newborn Filipino shall be enrolled into the System at the Local Civil Registry Office 
(LCRO) of the place of birth, or in the case of Filipinos born abroad, at the appropriate 
Philippine Embassy or Consular Office. The PSA, through the LCRO or the Philippine Embassy 
or Consular Office abroad, is mandated to issue a Filipino ID card within ninety (90) days from 
the registration of live birth.
The parents or legal guardian of a minor, incompetent, or person with disability shall be 
responsible for the application and safekeeping of the issued Filipino ID card.
Upon reaching eighteen (18) years of age, every Filipino shall renew the Filipino ID Card 
at PSA-designated Registration Centers, or in the case of Filipinos residing abroad, at the 
appropriate Philippine Embassy or Consular Office at the country of residence.
Upon reaching sixty (60) years of age, every Filipino shall renew his/her Filipino ID Card 
to reflect his/her senior citizen status.
SEC. 8. F ilip in o  Id e n tific a tio n  (ID ) Card. -  Every Filipino, whether residing in the 
Philippines or abroad, is mandated to secure a non-transferrable Filipino Identification Card


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bearing information on the owner’s identity, such as the CRN, full name, date and place of 
birth, sex, civil status, signature, date of card issuance, and photograph.
The issuance of the first Filipino ID Card and its mandatory renewal upon reaching the 
ages of eighteen (18) and sixty (60) years shall be free of charge. In all other instances, a fee 
shall be imposed on the replacement of lost or destroyed ID cards.
The Filipino ID Card shall be made of tamper-proof security material, with the capability 
of storing biometrics data and the possibility of facilitating secure electronic transactions such 
as access to identity verification, payment, and access to health, busines.s, retail, and other 
social services.
SEC. 9. F u n c tio n a l Uses o f th e  F ilip in o  ID  Card. -  The Filipino ID Card, when presented, 
shall be honored in transactions requiring information on such person's identity, such as the 
following:
(a) All transactions with the government, including:
(1) Application for passport and driver's license;
(2) Filing of applications for services and benefits offered by the GSIS, SSS, Philhealth 
and Pag-IBIG;
(3) Application for clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), 
courts, prosecutors and the police;
(b) Identification for voting purposes;
(c) Admission to all learning institutions, as well as for employment purposes;
(d) Transactions in banking and financial institutions;
(e) Availment of benefits or privileges afforded by law to senior citizens, persons with
disability, and other marginalized sectors.
When the Filipino ID Card is presented to any government agency or for identification 
purposes, no other additional identification card shall be required.
Except in instances allowed under the provisions of Republic Act No. 9225 or the 
Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003, the Filipino ID Card shall m otu pro prio be 
rendered invalid and ineffective upon the loss of status as a citizen of the Philippines. Such 
change in citizenship shall be reflected in the person’s record in the Registry.
SEC. 10. Change in  M a te ria l In fo rm a tio n . -  Any person who intends to effect changes in 
the material information previously supplied to and currently maintained in the System shall 
have the duty to inform the Local Civil Registry Office, Embassy or Consular Office, or to any 
PSA-designated reporting facility, of such changes within the period prescribed by the 
implementing agency. These material changes include:
(a) 
Change in the name by virtue of court order or by application of law, such as a 
married woman adopting the surname of the husband;
(b) 
Change in residence and/or civil status;


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(c) 
Material changes in facial features due to age or medical intervention; or
(d) 
Other revisions that may be deemed necessary by the cardholder or the PSA.
SEC. 11. P ro te ctio n  A g a in s t U n la w fu l D isclosure o f In fo n n a tio n /R e c o rd s . -  No person
may publish, disseminate, disclose or give to third persons or entities, including government 
agencies, any information contained in the Registry, except in the following cases:
(a) 
When the owner of the CRN or Filipino ID Card expressly authorizes the 
disclosure of such information to a third person, entity or agency;
(b) 
Upon order of any competent court; and
(c) 
Upon the request of government agencies authorized to issue membership 
numbers, such as the GSIS, SSS, Philhealth, Pag-IBIG and the COMELEC, for 
updates information on their respective members, which data are maintained in 
the Registry.
Any information obtained in violation of this provision shall be inadmissible as evidence 
in any administrative, civil or criminal proceeding against the owner.
The PSA may, in pursuance of its mandate under Republic Act No. 10625 or The 
Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, may generate and release aggregated information from the 
Citizen Registry in the form of summaries and statistical tables in which no reference to an 
individual shall appear and that no specific person can be readily identified in such aggregated 
information.
SEC. 12. Roles a n d  F unctions o f the P h ilip p in e  S ta tistics A u th o rity  a n d  th e  
D e p a rtm e n t o f F oreign A ffa irs  th ro u g h  th e  P h ilip p in e  Em bassies a n d  C onsular Offices. - 
The PSA, as the primary implementing agency, shall be responsible for the overall planning, 
management and administration of the System. In the case of citizens of the Philippines 
residing abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through the Philippine Embassies 
and Consular Offices shall be responsible for enrollment into the System, the release of the 
CRN, and issuance of the Filipino ID Cards. The DFA shall, as soon as practicable, transmit 
acquired information to the PSA for the consolidation in the Registry.
The PSA is directed to conduct mobile registration in collaboration with other 
government entities to attain universal enrollment of all Filipinos into the System, including 
indigenous Filipinos, those in remote communities and those who are sick and unable to 
physically appear before the Local Civil Registry Office, Embassy or Consular Office.
The PSA and the DFA shall create their respective Citizen ID Services offices for the 
proper discharge of their functions under this Act, subject to the review of the Department of 
Budget and Management.
SEC. 13. P enal P rovisions. -  Imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more 
than two (2) years, or a fine of not less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) but not more


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than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court, shall
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be imposed on:
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(a) 
Any person who knowingly uses false information in enrolling into the System
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or applying for the issuance of a Filipino ID Card;
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(b) 
Any person who, not falling under the instances authorized under this Act,
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discloses any data or information in the System;
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(c) 
Any person who, without any authority under this Act, accesses, tampers or
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changes any data or information in the System; and
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(d) 
Any person who willfully and unjustifiably refuses to accept, acknowledge or
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recognize the Filipino ID Card as the only official identification of the owner.
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Any public official or employee who commits the foregoing acts shall, in addition to the
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corresponding penalties imposed, suffer the penalty of perpetual disqualification from public
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office.
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SEC. 14. F eatures In v o lv in g  the P riv a te  Sector, Local G overnm ent U nits, a n d  O th e r
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G overnm ent In s tru m e n ta litie s . -  The PSA shall encourage the cooperation of the private
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sector, local government units, and other government instrumentalities in granting additional
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benefits and privileges to Filipino ID cardholders.
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SEC. 15. F a ilu re  to  P resent F ilip in o  ID  Card. -  Failure of any person to present a
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Filipino ID Card when transacting business with the government or private entities shall not
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be a ground for the denial of government and private services.
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SEC. 16. Im p le m e n tin g  Rules a n d  R egulations. -  Within sixty (60) days from the
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effectivity of this Act, the PSA and the DFA, in coordination with the National Economic and
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Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG),
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Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Science and
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Technology (DOST), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT),
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COMELEC, GSIS, SSS, Philhealth, Pag-IBIG and other relevant government agencies shall
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promulgate rules and regulations and exchange existing technologies and best practices on the
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establishment of the System to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.
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SEC. 17. T ra n s ito ry  P rovision. -  Within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act,
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all Filipinos, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, must have enrolled into the System
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and obtained a Filipino ID Card.
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SEC. 18. F unding. -  The initial amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall
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be charged against the current year's appropriations of the PSA and DFA. Thereafter, such
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sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the
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annual General Appropriations Act. Revenues that may be generated from the issuance of the
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Filipino ID Cards or related services shall be allocated as part of the appropriations for the
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continued management and operations of the System.


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SEC. 19. S e p a ra b ility  Clause. -  If any provision, section or part of this Act shall be 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, invalidate or impair any 
other provisions, sections or parts hereof.
SEC. 20. R epealing Clause. -  All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 21. E ffe ctivity. -  This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,