LOOK: Here's a sample of the proposed National ID which Rep. Sol Aragones showed on ANC Headstart last May. pic.twitter.com/Co7UY6jAZw — ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) August 6, 2018

MANILA - Government agencies on Monday expressed support for the newly signed Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Act.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) welcomed the law, which will provide a national identification system for Filipinos.

"This much-awaited measure has become a necessity for any developing country to keep pace with global trends of technology in governance. An efficient national ID system offers benefits to practical applications in census, taxation, election registration, banking, travel documentation, social security, social welfare, and other transactions with government agencies," PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde said in a statement.

Albayalde also said PNP will soon migrate its own National Crime Information System and the National Police Clearance System to a national database "or sharing with other government agencies to optimize the operational potential of the entire national ID system."

The National Privacy Commission also expressed its support for the new law.

The NPC said it provided advice and guidance to the implementing agency to address privacy risks.

"The public may rest assured that the NPC shall continuously press for the adoption of internationally accepted data protection and privacy standards in the implementation of the National ID, such as the deployment of a Privacy by Design approach, and the adoption and comprehensive application of the NPC’s Data Privacy Accountability & Compliance Framework," Privacy Commissioner Raymund Enriquez Liboro said in a statement.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed PhilSys Act Monday.

According to the president, the new law will pave the way for efficient services delivery, will enhance administrative governance, reduce corruption, curtail bureaucratic red tape, promote ease of doing business, and strengthen financial inclusion.

The President also assured the public that government will protect the data in the PhilSys database, amid concerns of possible data breach and privacy violations. Prior to the signing of the PhilSys Act, the Philippines had been one of the few countries in the world which had no national ID system.

Previous administrations attempted to establish a national ID system but these efforts were met with strong opposition.

The PSA will be the implementing agency of the measure.