The University of the Philippines (UP) has become the first university in the country authorized to operate as a Registration Authority under the Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI), allowing it to process and verify government-recognized digital certificates within the UP System.
The designation follows a memorandum of agreement signed in July 2025 between UP and the Department of Information and Communications Technology for the implementation of the PNPKI framework.
UP employees were officially onboarded on May 13, 2026 as Registration Authority Officers and Assistants after undergoing training and qualification processes.
Under the arrangement, UP can facilitate identity verification and enrollment for digital certificates used for electronic signatures and authenticated transactions, including remote document approvals, inter-campus processing, and paperless authorization of official transactions.
The university said the move is expected to reduce processing delays and improve accountability and operational efficiency across its campuses.
“Real public service in the digital age depends not only on access, but on trusted authentication,” said Peter A. Sy, vice president for digital transformation at UP.
Sy added that institutions handling digital transactions have a growing responsibility to verify identities, authorize actions securely, and maintain confidence in digital records and approvals.
The PNPKI serves as the government framework for trusted digital identities and legally recognized electronic signatures under Executive Order No. 810, s. 2009. UP’s Registration Authority officers will process certificate applications and revocation requests for members of the university community.
“This milestone also reflects our shared commitment to advancing e-governance through collaboration, innovation, and public service,” said Ahmed Genesis F. Simon, supervising director of the GDTB-Digital Certificate Division of the DICT.
“As we move forward, may we continue to work together with humility, integrity, and purpose, always remembering that technology is most meaningful when it serves the people,” Simon added.
UP said its designation marks the first time an entity outside DICT has assumed the role of a PNPKI Registration Authority, as part of broader efforts to decentralize digital identity verification infrastructure.
