The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) urged all household beneficiaries to register their children aged 0-5 with the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).
Gema Gabuya, manager and director of the 4Ps national program, said the PhilSys registration and authentication will serve as the equivalent of the beneficiaries’ compliance with the monthly Family Development Session (FDS) for February and March.
Gabuya said it will help increase the number of children below five who will have access to the benefits of having a PhilSys-issued national identification (ID) card.
“This initiative highlights the importance of securing identification for all 4Ps household members, particularly for 0-5-year-old children, as a proactive measure to improve their access to essential government programs in the future,” Gabuya said in a news release on Sunday.
To fulfill the one-month FDS compliance, the head of the 4Ps household should register in Philsys. But to gain two months FDS compliance, all members of the household, including children 0-5, should also be registered.
“Households that availed the FDS equivalency must present either their transaction reference number or PhilSys card number and authenticate their registration during the period one covering the months of February to March of the compliance monitoring timeline,” Gabuya said.
“This ensures they fulfill program requirements necessary for cash grants while reducing barriers to identification at an early age,” she added.
Gabuya said the inclusion of young children in PhilSys registration aligns with the directive of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian to maximize the reach of the National ID system among 4Ps households as part of the streamlining of government services.
The DSWD implemented the FDS equivalency for the registration and authentication of 4Ps households with PhilSys in October to November 2024.
“4Ps beneficiaries can register for PhilSys at designated registration centers, including barangay halls, malls, and FDS co-location venues, special sites organized by the Philippine Statistics Authority, as well as new registration centers which will be open in schools and daycare centers to accelerate the registration of the 4Ps children,” Gabuya said.
Signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in August 2018, Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national ID for Filipinos and resident aliens.
The national ID is a valid proof of identity and a means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrollment in schools, and opening of bank accounts.
It will also boost efficiency, especially in dealing with government services where people will only need to present one ID during transactions. (PNA)
