The Philippines government has chosen NXP’s SmartMX2 secure microcontroller for its modernized electronics passports (ePassports) and unified multipurposeidentification card (UMID) program. The ePassports program enhances national security with secure biometric data, encryption and authentication technology to help reduce document reproduction and identification fraud for approximately 93 million Filipinos.
 
SmartMX products contain the IntegralSecurity architecture with more than 100 security mechanisms ready to support custom-specific electronic forensic features.
 
The cards allow citizens to use one card instead of four to represent their proof of identification for social security, insurance, health programs and other government services.
 
Filipino ePassports, based on NXP technology, are designed to be highly secure, tamper-resistant and can offer more convenience when crossing borders. The ePassports provide travelers benefits such as automated border clearance or “e-gates,” automated issuance of boarding passes and faster travel arrangement with airlines.
 
The increased need of ePassports is also reflected in the increase of identity fraud and the EU-refugee crisis, where some countries are already reacting and implementing new travel requirements with the need of biometric passports to enter a country such as the US.
 
“NXP is already supporting more than 120 countries like Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and US for a secure and convenient government scheme,” said Sébastien Clamagirand, senior director and general manager of secure identification solutions at NXP.