MANILA -- The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday reminded the public that having a Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID does not guarantee financial assistance. 

The state statistics bureau explained that while the PhilID or ePhilID is presented as valid proof of identity when applying for benefits from the government, such benefits are granted based on the rules and regulations of the concerned government agency. 

The PSA flagged a Facebook post that said that those who have a national ID get a P5,000 cash assistance from the government.

The Philippine Statistics Authority slammed a Facebook post claiming that those who have a PHilID can get P5,000 cash assistance from the government. Photo from the PSA.

Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has ordered banks and other financial institutions to place the PhilID at the top of the list of acceptable valid IDs, it being the official government-issued ID.

The BSP said all financial institutions must ensure the broad acceptance of the PhilID, whether the physical card or the ePhilID, as a valid and sufficient proof of identity and age in all financial transactions, subject to authentication. 

The central bank said lenders may use the PhilSys Check identity authentication tool to verify if the data stored in the QR code match the information printed on the face of the ID.

The BSP has identified the national ID as a driver of financial inclusion in the country by serving as proof of identity for opening formal transaction accounts.

The PSA said 48,415,248 PhilIDs have already been delivered across the country as of February 23, 2024.

More than 45 million ePhilIDs have also been issues, the state statistics bureau said.

Over 82.81 million Filipinos register for national ID: PSA