Agusan Sur's statistics office shows high number of registrants for nat'l ID
AGUSAN DEL SUR -- The Provincial Statistical Office (PSO) of Agusan del Sur reported the progress in its ongoing National ID registration campaign, with a total of 662,093 Agusanons or 89.55 percent registered as of September 30, 2024.
Leading the number of registrations is the City of Bayugan, with 98,703
registrants, followed by Prosperidad with 78,916 and San Francisco with
70,654.
These high numbers were attributed to the larger populations in these
areas and well-organized local registration campaigns. Even in smaller
municipalities such as Santa Josefa and La Paz, robust efforts led to
impressive registration counts of 23,325 and 27,716, respectively. (Figure 1)
More than 78,000 estimated unregistered individuals
Bayugan City has the highest number of unregistered individuals, with
over 10,000 residents still unregistered, despite achieving a registration
coverage rate of 90.14 percent. The large population in this urban center
presents challenges in reaching full registration, requiring sustained efforts
to engage the remaining individuals. Similar challenges are observed in San
Francisco and Prosperidad, with over 10,000 and 9,000 unregistered residents,
respectively, despite nearing 90 percent coverage.
In contrast, Veruela has the lowest registration coverage rate in the
province at 79.72 percent, leaving 8,054 individuals unregistered.
This rural municipality may face accessibility challenges that hinder
the registration process, making it essential to introduce more focused
outreach initiatives. Smaller municipalities like Sibagat, Trento, and San Luis
have demonstrated strong performance in their registration efforts. Sibagat has
even surpassed its target, with a registration rate of 102.29 percent, while
Trento and San Luis boosted rates of 95.08 percent and 94.49 percent,
respectively. (Table 1)
The success of the registrations may be attributed to the extensive outreach efforts, which included mobile registration aimed at remote and hard-to-reach areas. However, registration for children under five years old remains a challenge, with only 18,299 registered—just 19.21 percent of the target age group.
Key barriers include dependence on parents or guardians for
documentation, logistical difficulties in isolated communities, and lower
awareness of the process. To address these issues, PSO will intensify mobile
registration initiatives, conduct of “Rehistro Bulilit” campaign, and
strengthen partnerships with local government units (LGUs), Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and educational institutions. These
strategies aim to boost registration rates, particularly for young children,
and ensure inclusivity for all Agusanons. (Figure 2)
Furthermore, the PSO disaggregated the registration data by sex for both August and September. In August, 2,898 males were registered, alongside 2,084 females, contributing to a strong registration turnout for that month.
However, in September, the number of registered individuals saw a decrease,
with only 1,719 males and 1,613 females recorded. This significant reduction in
registrants translates to a 40.68 percent decline in male registrations and a
22.60 percent drop in female registrations.
The total number of registrants decreased from 4,982 in August to 3,332
in September, marking a substantial 33.12 percent decline in overall
registration turnout. This downward trend highlights the importance of ongoing
outreach and mobilization efforts to boost registration rates in the coming
months. (Figure 3)
The Fixed Registration Center (FRC) assisted 130 clients in generating their digital national IDs. Many of these clients needed the ID to fulfill requirements for late birth registration, while others used it to register their children under five years old. However, 17 clients assisted but were unable to generate their digital national IDs after three attempts.
The issuance of the PhilSys digital ID, also known as the ePhilID, is a
proactive strategy by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that enables
registrants to immediately enjoy the benefits of being PhilSys registered.
Since its launch in October 2022, a total of 418,711 ePhilIDs have been issued
to registered individuals in Agusan del Sur.
In 2022, there were 234,114 ePhilIDs issued, followed by 181,886 in 2023, with preliminary data indicating 2,711 issued as of September 2024. The ePhilID features the individual’s PhilSys Card Number (PCN) with basic demographic information, and includes a QR code for authentication. Notably, the ePhilID carries the same functionality and validity as the physical card. (Figure 4) (PSA-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
