Philippines begins national ID registration

The Philippines’ statistics agency has started to register millions of citizens for the national identification system. The new system issues a unique personal identifier to each person once they have registered, which requires personal details including: name, sex, birth details, blood type, address, and nationality, as well as biometrics such as fingerprints, facial photos, and iris scans. It will also be used across government agencies and in access to private services. Officials expect the ID system to accelerate the growth of the digital economy and support digital payments.