The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is simplifying digital bank account opening by integrating the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) into its mobile application as the bank celebrates 175 years of service.
BPI and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) formalized the partnership through the signing of a Subscription Contract covering the bank’s adoption of the National ID Authentication Services (NIDAS), which allows customers to verify their identities through the government-backed identification system.
Under the new process, Filipinos with an existing National ID record no longer need to upload a photo of their physical PhilID when opening an account through the BPI app.
Instead, customers can take a selfie that will be securely authenticated against their PhilSys records, shortening the account-opening process and reducing the documentation required from applicants.
BPI President and CEO TG Limcaoco said the initiative reflects the bank’s view that financial inclusion starts with convenient and trustworthy access to financial services.
Fitzgerald Chee, BPI head of Consumer Platforms, said the NIDAS integration is intended to make banking more accessible, particularly for Filipinos who may have limited documentation or find traditional account-opening procedures difficult.
The bank said the initiative builds on the growing use of its digital banking services. Digital account openings through the BPI app increased 38 percent year-on-year in 2025 as more customers shifted toward mobile-based banking.
Beyond convenience, the National ID integration is also expected to strengthen account security. By linking newly opened accounts to verified individuals through PhilSys, the system can help reduce the risk of fake accounts and identity misuse.
The initiative supports the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ goal of expanding inclusive digital finance under the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022-2028, allowing more Filipinos to access formal financial services without having to visit a bank branch.
BPI, however, reminded customers to remain alert against scams related to the new feature.
The bank said it will never contact customers to request their National ID information, one-time passwords, passwords, account details or other sensitive personal information in connection with National ID eVerify.
Customers were urged to use only official BPI channels and immediately report suspicious messages, websites or calls claiming to be associated with National ID eVerify or account verification.
The bank said stronger digital identity verification, combined with easier account opening, can help expand financial access while improving protection for both customers and the banking system.