14 April 2014 - The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, recently became the 44th country to join the International Civil Aviation Organization Public Key Directory (ICAO PKD). The Philippines' participation in the ICAO PKD Program will enhance the security and strengthen the integrity of the Philippine e-Passport as an ICAO-compliant travel document.
The ICAO PKD is a system where participants deposit data to facilitate the sharing of public key information between countries to ensure the authenticity and valid issuance of e-Passports. Without the ICAO PKD, each country will exchange information bilaterally.
Validating the identity of a passport holder through the ICAO PKD will be beneficial not only for the Border Authorities but most especially the travelers. Participation in the ICAO PKD will enable Filipino travelers to use automated border checks for faster arrival procedures as well as faster detection of fraudulent holders of travel documents.
The Philippines was accepted as a member of the ICAO PKD on 21 March 2014. END