CXpose.tech recently caught up with HID’s APAC execs, to find out more about how their organization enables a digital national ID platform, and why physical ID is not going away anytime soon.

HID’s APAC regional senior manager for Citizen ID Solutions, Adrien Lemoine, shared that Philippines national digital ID journey began in 2022 when the country’s newly-elected president himself decided to migrate physical document issuance to the digital world.

If one has even dabbled with digital finance services, they may find they have had to sign up for an account digitally, be it on their computer or mobile phone. Once they do so however, a whole new world of experience opens up, ranging from lower service fees all the way to almost instantaneous transactions like converting one currency to another at very competitive foreign exchange rates and minimal service fees, and storing the currency in a digital wallet for use during travel, and more.

It is also more convenient to transact government services using a mobile phone, rather than going to the administrative offices in-person to ask for a new ID, or to apply for a birth certificate, or to renew a driver’s licence, and so on.

To be able to access services in the offline world like cash withdrawal at an ATM machine, fintech providers like Wise and others, would issue a physical card as well and send it to users to use as they would a debit card. Hello, cashless transactions!

Now, when we parallel this convenience, ease-of-use, and experience to services outside of the financial realm, one may be able to get a sense of what the Philippine government wished to achieve when offering services to its citizens.

Slow and clunky to instantaneous and seamless

Adrien wanted to emphasize that President Marcos Jr. recognized the need for government departments to work with the DICT, or Department of Information and Communications Technology, to ensure their compatibility with the national ID system. It is imperative for the digital national ID to be easily accessible for more government services to be offered.

Each government service, like paying taxes, redeeming a subsidy amount, or applying for a vehicle license, requires credentials to be able to access them. The eGovPH app offers citizens a way to access and store digitized, government-issued identity documents.

As Adrien described, the app is also a way for every Filipino to have ‘transactions’ with the Philippine government, be it to apply for documents, to make specific requests, or more.

It is also more convenient to transact government services using a mobile phone, rather than going to the administrative offices in-person to ask for a new ID, or to apply for a birth certificate, or to renew a driver’s licence, and so on.

Secure issuance

When it comes to issuance, HID’s regional director of Secure Issuance, Lee Wei Jin highlighted the importance of understanding the application’s needs, its lifespan, and logistical requirements.

Lee Wei Jin, Regional Director, FARGO, Secure Issuance, Asia Pacific, HID

“You can get your driving licence from the post office in ten minutes, your national ID can be issued for you to collect from any registration office within a day, and you could potentially renew your passport instantly as well,” Wei Jin described.

These are decentralized issuance scenarios that are possible because of multiple issuance centers located across the country.

Another component of the issuance process is to ensure that the right data is programmed into a chip, or printed onto a card, after which visual security like holograms are applied to guard against counterfeiting.

The need to converge

The pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital identity, but physical ID cards are still seen as an important and preferred option, especially in situations where data security and privacy are of concern.

The two forms of identity complement each other, and the earlier example of digital finance services working with physical identity verification (a card) and digital identity (mobile app), highlights a need to establish a system that can integrate and synchronize data that reside in both worlds.

Wei Jin wanted to point out that cloud-based solutions like Fargo Connect SDK (software development kits) provided by HID, help system integrators develop solutions that bridge physical and digital identities. Cloud is seen as a critical enabler to linking both types of identities. The synchronization of data between physical and digital provides seamless and secure experiences for users, that are highly valued.