Lifetime PWD ID validity for permanently disabled pushed

MANILA, Philippines — The person with disability identification card (PWD ID) of individuals diagnosed with permanent disabilities may be soon be valid for life if a proposal to amend Republic Act No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons is enacted into law.

Parañaque City 2nd District Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan on Tuesday said that his House Bill (HB) No. 6306 seeks to change Section 32 of R.A. No. 7277 and allow the permanent use of PWD IDs for certain conditions — in this case, permanent disability that is certified by the respective local health office and the Local Social Welfare Development Office

“Provided, that identification cards issued to persons with permanent disability shall be free of charge and shall be valid during the lifetime of the cardholder.  Provided, further, that such permanent disability is certified by the Municipal or City Health Office and verified by the Local Social Welfare Development Office,” Yamsuan’s proposed additional paragraph to Section 32 stated.

Currently, PWD ID cards have a fixed validity period of about five years. After its expiration, the beneficiary must renew their ID, undergo a new medical certification, and resubmit other required documents.

According to Yamsuan he filed the bill as allowing the lifetime use of these IDs would lift some burden off PWDs’ shoulders.

“The renewal of PWD IDs for those with temporary or progressive conditions is reasonable, but for people with lifelong disabilities, especially those from low-income families, this process is unnecessary and only adds to their distress and inconvenience,” Yamsuan said on the eve of the International Day of Persons With Disabilities in the Philippines.

“Let’s simplify and make the process easy for  them  by providing lifetime validity of their  PWD IDs free of charge,” he added. 

Aside from this proposed amendment, HB No. 6306 also defines what a permanent disability is by inserting two more paragraphs in R.A. No. 7277’s Section 4:

• (c) Disability shall mean (1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more psychological, physiological, or anatomical functions of an individual or activities of such individual; (2) a record of such an impairment; or (3) being regarded as having such an impairment; 
• (c-1) Permanent disability refers to a physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment that (1) substantially limits one or more major bodily functions or activities of an individual; and (2) is medically determined to be irreversible, non-transitory, or otherwise expected to last for the lifetime of the individual, as certified by a licensed physician of the municipal or city health office and verified by the Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO).

According to Yamsuan, the passage of his bill and other similar measures would also help the government “streamline the management of PWD IDs and stop the fraudulent practice of selling IDs to fake beneficiaries.”

“Requiring them to appear in person every few years to renew an ID that certifies an unchanging medical condition contradicts the spirit of accessibility and inclusion promoted by the Magna Carta for PWDs,” Yamsuan said. 

“The burden also disproportionately affects indigent PWDs who constitute the majority of the sector and often rely on the social welfare benefits provided for PWDs in order to survive,” he noted.

Yamsuan cited data from the Department of Health and the National Council on Disability Affairs which states that there are around 2.8 million Filipinos registered as PWDs.

While this number is significantly lower than the World Health Organization’s global estimates, Yamsuan said that a United Nations Children’s Fund study indicates that the number could be lower because possible beneficiaries do not apply for IDs because of the hard time they encounter in the processes.

A similar bill was filed by Senator Lito Lapid in 2020, which also aimed to remove the “superfluous and burdensome” renewal requirements of PWD IDs.   However it was not sent to the president’s desk before the 18th Congress adjourned its session.

READ: Lapid bill pushes for lifetime ID validity for PWDs with permanent disabilities

(With reports from Halle Danelle Yuson, INQUIRER trainee)

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