As more banks connect to the National ID database, opening a bank account may soon be as easy as entering your name, birthday, and taking a live selfie
MANILA, Philippines – Opening a bank account is beginning to require little more than a live selfie for millions of Filipinos, as banks increasingly connect their onboarding systems to the government’s National ID database.
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) customers who are already registered with the National ID system can now open a BPI account through the bank’s mobile app without photographing or uploading a physical identification card. Instead, the customer enters basic information and takes a live selfie, which is matched against the facial image and other details stored in the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).
“You take a selfie, you put your name and your birthday, and then it goes, pulls up your record from the National ID, and that’s how we verify you,” BPI president and chief executive officer Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco said, explaining that customers do not need to possess the physical National ID card.
BPI said the simpler process is already translating into more completed applications. Fitzgerald Chee, BPI’s head of consumer platforms, said account openings increased by about 50% after the bank introduced National ID-based verification. Around 85% of BPI’s account openings now use the National ID, according to consumer banking head Maria Cristina Go.
