MANILA - The printing of the electronic version of the national ID is undergoing a pilot test which will be an alternative as the release of physical IDs is facing delays, National Statistician Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said Monday.

Mapa said the agency aims to release 20 million electronic versions called "ePhilIDs" by the end of the year to augment the targeted release of 30 million cards.

ePhilIDs, which can only be printed at PhilSys registration centers, can also be laminated.

About 1,000 registrants have gotten their ePhilIDs including Mapa.

The rollout of the said electronic version has started in the National Capital Region, Bulacan and Pampanga, Mapa said. The program will soon be expanded to the rest of the country, with the goal of issuing 20 million ePhilIDs by the end of 2022.

The release of the physical national ID cards has been limited by the printing capacity of the machines of the PSA’s printing partner, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. More printers will be added by the central bank to speed up the process, Mapa said.

• BSP: National ID printing to continue even on holidays
• BSP says national ID 'valid', sufficient proof of identity in opening bank accounts

So far, the national ID or PhilSys Registration, has already captured data over 70 million Filipinos, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

• 72 million Filipinos now registered under national ID system: PSA

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Watch more News on iWantTFC