The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has urged the public to report establishments that refuse to accept the digital version of the National Identification (ID) card, stating that it has the same legal validity as the physical card.

This comes after the reported suspension of physical ID card printing due to the termination of the contract between the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and AliCard Inc. (ACI). Only 55 million of the 90 million registered Filipinos have received their physical cards.

PSA Assistant National Statistician Emily Pagador emphasized the growing importance of digital ID copies, noting that physical IDs are becoming less essential in the digital age.

BSP terminated its contract with ACI, citing the company’s failure to fulfill its obligations, and the matter is now in arbitration.

To explore further applications of the national ID, the Philippine Digital ID Experience Lab was launched in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Diliman and the Modular Open Source Identity Platform.