Top-Notch ID Document Processing Worldwide: The Philippines

For decades, Filipinos have had to juggle multiple forms of identification to access government services, apply for bank accounts, and conduct everyday transactions. Each identification document currently in circulation serves a specific purpose, but none fully address the fundamental issue: a single, universally recognized proof of identity that works across all sectors.

The key challenge of processing IDs in the Philippines is having to deal with multiple forms of documents.

Up until recently, there have been multiple unsuccessful attempts to create a Philippine national identity card. Even back in 1973, then-President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos signed into law the National Reference Card System, but it wasn’t accepted by the public.

Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID)

In 2010, the government launched the Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID), which aimed to consolidate multiple government-issued IDs into a single card. More specifically, it was meant to help individuals get service from four different organizations: 

• Social Security System (SSS) (for private sector employees)

• Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) (for public sector employees)

• PhilHealth (for healthcare benefits)

• Pag-IBIG Fund (for housing and savings)

However, the UMID was not designed to function as a Philippine identity card in the first place, nor was it recognized outside government transactions. That’s why, to this day, the UMID remains largely underutilized, but it is still being informally used as a secondary identity document. 

The card’s front side contains a standard set of data, including name, date of birth (DOB), address, sex, signature, and a Common Reference Number (CRN), a 12-digit unique identifier assigned to every UMID holder. The reverse side features a magnetic stripe with encoded personal data, a barcode, and the card’s serial numbers, along with the expiration date.

Unlike other Philippine IDs, all text fields appear only in English, without translations in Filipino or any other local language. That is because the agencies that use UMID—SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG—historically standardized their internal records in English.

PhilID (now National ID)

The idea of a Philippine identity card finally gained traction in 2018 with the creation of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys). PhilSys was meant to finally establish a true Philippine identity card—PhilID (currently being rebranded to National ID). Unlike past attempts, this law had clear directives:

• Every Filipino citizen and resident alien would be assigned a PhilSys Number (PSN) upon birth or registration.

• The PhilID, a physical card, would serve as proof of identity for government and private transactions.

• A central PhilSys Registry would store biometric and demographic data.

National ID is made of polycarbonate, has laser-engraved details, guilloche patterns, color-shifting ink as well as the QR code with biometric data. More specifically, the QR code carries the holder’s key demographic details, the PCN, as well as the digital signature.

As for languages, National ID is bilingual, with data field names in both Filipino and English; however the data itself is only provided in English.

To validate this type of ID, organizations need to scan the QR code and verify it. This can be done with the help of the PhilSys Check website or an IDV solution like Document Reader SDK. The key difference between the two is that the Document Reader SDK is an out-of-the-box solution for the verification of over 15,000 document templates worldwide, while the PhilSys Check website is only meant for Philippine National ID checks.

A unique feature of the National ID is that it does not contain the owner’s handwritten signature, as it is encrypted into the QR code instead. The QR code uses asymmetric (private-public) key cryptography to ensure that encoded information isn’t altered in any way and the digital signature is valid. Thus, this unique digital signature helps to confirm the authenticity of the ID and the integrity of data it contains.   

For this reason, many banks and financial institutions initially refused to recognize the PhilID as a valid form of identification, citing the lack of a handwritten signature as a security concern. The PSA had to intervene, issuing memorandums to banks instructing them to recognize the PhilID.

In 2022, the government introduced ePhilID, the digital version of the National ID, to provide individuals with immediate proof of identity without waiting for the lengthy production of the physical card. It is issued as a digital file or a printed document on paper.

Since ePhilID doesn’t have any physical security features, it relies on cryptographic security, namely its QR code. The QR code is generated in compliance with ISO/IEC 18004:2015 QR Code specifications and encodes data identical to the physical card’s QR.

Thus, a simple visual inspection of an ePhilID is not enough to verify it. One may see that the printout looks official (has the person’s photo, basic info, QR code, and reference numbers), but won’t be able to check if the data has been altered with the naked eye. To effectively validate the ePhilIDs presented to them, ​organizations need to use the PhilSys Check website or an IDV solution like Document Reader SDK for scanning and verification of the QR code data.

Out of all the Philippine IDs, the passport is often considered the most secure, as it is fully ICAO-compliant. However, this document is primarily a travel credential, meaning that only a part of the country’s population (those who travel abroad) hold a valid passport. As a result, it is not seen as often as National IDs, and a good fake might trick a human authenticator.

Philippine passports are also bilingual, containing text in both Filipino and English—but it hasn’t always been this way. Much older versions of the document had all the Filipino text written with diacritics, but this has since been phased out (except for individuals’ names).

There are a few other Philippine IDs informally used as proof of identity in niche situations—something that authenticators need to be wary of.

Postal ID

The Postal ID is issued by PhilPost (Philippine Postal Corporation), and serves as proof of identity and address. It is widely accepted in both public and private institutions for services such as:

• Passport applications

• Bank account openings

• Utility service applications

• Remittance and financial transactions

The Improved Postal ID can be obtained by both Filipino and foreign residents, and is considered easier to apply for compared to other IDs, as it does not require employment records or financial history.

Driver’s license

The Philippine driver’s license, issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), has long been an important secondary identity card. It is still widely accepted for banking, business, and government operations.

Still, the Philippine driver’s license has historically suffered from security flaws and credibility issues. Before the 21st century, the Philippine driver’s license was a laminated paper card, a format that had been in use for decades. It was essentially just a printed photo, personal details, and a barcode, which made it not so secure.

The document has received multiple upgrades since: in later years, the LTO began to produce it with polycarbonate and enhanced it with critical security features. However, its main purpose is still to grant an individual the right to operate a vehicle, not necessarily to universally verify their identity.

Voter’s ID

The Voter’s ID, issued by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), was originally seen as a functional proof of identity in addition to its role in the electoral process. The card, however, turned out to be one of the most unreliable forms of identification ever issued in the country. 

The Voter’s ID lacked biometric authentication, anti-tampering measures, or machine-readable components, making it one of the easiest Philippine IDs to forge. This led to instances of double voting and identity fraud, undermining its credibility.

With so many ID documents in circulation, there is a need for an automated ID verification solution that will work with every type of document. The solution should also be able to:

• Read machine-readable zones (MRZ) and barcodes

• Read and authenticate RFID chips

• Verify digital signatures encrypted into barcodes

• Verify dynamic security features, including holograms and optically variable ink (OVI)

• Validate printed and digital credentials side by side, as both physical and mobile-based IDs become more common.

Regula Document Reader SDK is a capable solution, equipped to handle all these challenges and help with easy Philippine national ID verification.