The online portal for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration started on Friday, April 30, but the website was not readily accessible due to “technical difficulties.”

“We are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Our technical team is currently figuring out the source of the problem. We will provide updates as soon as the website is up and running. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused,” the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a Facebook post on Friday morning.

In an update on its Facebook page past 3 pm, the PSA said that it had yet to resolve the “technical challenge.”

“We received more than 40,000 registration requests during the first minutes of the pilot launch. This caused delays in the sending of the one time passwords (OTPs) necessary to proceed with the registration. We are urgently looking into the issue and updating the website to resolve this technical challenge,” the PSA said its Friday afternoon update.

To register for a national ID, Filipinos simply have to login to register.philsys.gov.ph, fill out the form and put in their personal information, then schedule an appointment for biometrics registration.

People may also scan the QR code below: 

The government aims to register 70 million Filipinos in 2021.

Prior to the online portal launch, some 27 million people have already completed the first step or the demographic data collection, as PSA personnel went house-to-house amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the total, 2.2 million got their biometrics captured, while more than 390,000 opened bank accounts.

The issuance of PhilSys numbers and identification cards are expected to begin this April.

The national ID system aims to give Filipinos easier access to social welfare programs and benefits from the government.

The ID can also be used as proof of identification for all government transactions. – Rappler.com