THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recorded 94.7 million transactions that used the National ID for authentication as of end-March, signaling growing adoption.

“This means our National ID registrants are using authentication services such as for PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.) and other services,” National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said in a speech on Thursday.

“This progress not only demonstrates the scale and reliability of our identity infrastructure, it also lays a strong foundation for seamless integrations.”

He said most transactions recorded in the first quarter are government transactions, which amounted to 64 million; while 17.2 million came from financial accounts and 13.4 million were from the private sector.

“As of end January 2026, the PSA recorded a total of 91 million Filipinos that have already registered and provided unique national ID numbers, meaning we have already authenticated 91 million [Filipinos] and they are verified as unique individuals, representing a massive scale of unique registrations under the national ID system,” Mr. Mapa said.

Of the registered accounts, 90 million already have a digital national ID that they can access and use via the e-gov app application.

Meanwhile, the PSA signed a memorandum of agreement with PhilHealth to modernize the state insurer’s systems by co-locating and integrating it in the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).

“We are launching the PhilHealth Check Utility (PCU), a key step in strengthening the integrity of our membership data. By integrating PhilSys data, PCU allows us to verify identities real-time, perform biometric checks, and ensure that records are accurate and up to date,” PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin M. Mercado said in a speech on Thursday.

Under the partnership, the PhilSys registration has been made available directly at selected PhilHealth offices, allowing members to register for their National ID while accessing PhilHealth services.

The PCU integrates PhilSys data to verify identities in real time, perform biometric liveness checks, and match records for accuracy, ensuring the validity of processed claims.

The system has been integrated by PhilHealth in various programs since January, such as in the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program and the Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment benefit availment process. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

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