DICT amends digital certificate application amid quarantine, allows video calls
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has allowed for an alternative mode of filing for digital certificates, which includes the use of video calls instead of personal appearance, amid the enhanced community quarantine.
The proposal of alternative means of availing the Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI) was brought about the declared state of a public health emergency, as per DICT’s Department Ocular 06 signed Thursday.
Public Key Infrastructure or PKI allows users of public networks like the internet to privately exchange data securely. PKI is essentially a set of hardware, software, policies, personnel and procedures needed to create, manage, distribute, use, store and revoke digital certificates.
“With the increasing adoption of work-from-home arrangements in both the public and private sectors, there is a pressing need to secure the integrity of documents and information over digital networks,” the department stated.
“This is where the digital certificates come in. Digital certificates act as proof of an individual or a machine’s electronic identity. It allows people to digitally sign and encrypt pending work documents,” it added.
A digital certificate is a file issued by a certificate authority containing the user’s personal information and serves as an ID, only digital, as per the DICT.
The verification process shall be done through free video call platforms such as Skype, Viber, WebEx, and Zoom, among others. Interested applicants from government agencies, private entities, and the general public may refer to the guidelines presented in the circular.
The circular also details guidelines on the use of the PNPKI Self-Service Portal for enrollment, installation, and downloading of duly approved PNPKI Digital Certificate.
The DICT said the effort complements the goal of the recently-signed “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” to promote efficiency among the public sector.
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