102-yr-old grandma becomes 1st centenarian to register for National ID in Abra

Bangued, Abra - Age is no barrier when it comes to securing a national identity. This was shown by a 102-year-old grandmother in Abra who recently became the first centenarian in the province to register for the Philippine National Identification System (PhilSys) of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Catalina Balas Quing-a, as reported by the PSA - Abra, successfully completed her registration to be included in the said system on March 24, 2025.

The old woman, who is from Barangay Tubtuba in the town of Tubo, Abra, demonstrated that the National ID system is accessible to Filipinos of all ages. In spite of her age, she gladly participated in said government program.

The PSA-Abra staff facilitated the registration process, allowing senior citizens such as Quing-a to easily finish the required steps, including capturing biometric data and verifying documents.

“Fun fact: she is the first Abrenian centenarian to register in the National ID System. This initiative underscores the PSA Abra’s commitment to ensuring all Abreños, regardless of age or location, have access to essential government services,” the agency wrote on its Facebook page.

The PhilSys, created under Republic Act No. 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to provide Filipinos with an official ID card that that they can utilized for numerous transactions, such as government benefits and banking, among other services.