The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) partnered up to bring the services of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) to the Family Development Session (FDS) of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.

The PSA said in a news release Monday that the partnership would allow it to provide PhilSys registration and ePhilID issuance by maximizing the attendance of 4Ps beneficiaries during FDS.

“We extend our gratitude to the DSWD for allowing us to make PhilSys services more accessible and convenient for the 4Ps beneficiaries,” PSA Undersecretary and Civil Registrar General Claire Dennis Mapa said.

The FDS intends to strengthen the capacities of Pantawid families, particularly the parents/grantees, to become more responsive to health and education needs of the family and their children.

By registering with PhilSys, individuals are provided with unique credentials such as the PhilSys Number (PSN) which is the permanent identification number of registered persons; the PhilID or the physical ID card; and the ePhilID, which can be presented as a valid proof of identity just like the PhilID.

These credentials allow Filipinos, especially those from vulnerable groups, to apply as social protection program beneficiaries.

Last year, the PhilSys registry was utilized for the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (Listahanan), a database that serves as the primary reference for identifying possible beneficiaries of social protection programs and services.

PhilSys was also involved in the pilot run of the Open Government-to-Person, a social benefit platform that provides the tools needed to digitize large-scale cash transfers to make government transactions more streamlined.

DSWD spokesperson Romel Lopez said the registration of more 4Ps beneficiaries is a strategic move to enhance the delivery of services under the different programs of the agency.

“It would benefit both the DSWD and its clients as the features of the ID enable faster eligibility checks and digital payments, hence, providing better and multiple access points for beneficiaries to receive social assistance,” Lopez, also the DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications, said.

As of Jan. 31 this year, data indicated that over 4 million out of 24.4 million 4Ps individual members are already registered to the PhilSys, but only 1 million 4Ps members have PhilSys Card Number (PCN).

“The DSWD aims to significantly increase this number to ensure a smoother and more inclusive social assistance delivery system,” Lopez said.

Lopez said DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian issued a memorandum in January 2024, highlighting the registration of 4Ps household members and their children aged five and above.

“Notably, efforts are underway to extend registration to include children under five years old, pending approval of guidelines,” he said. (PNA)