Senator Sonny Angara has renewed his call for the lifetime validity of persons with disability (PWD) identification cards (ID), as he argued that checking people’s disability from time to time is not actually necessary.
Angara’s appeal will be applied particularly to those with permanent disability, such as physical impairment or impaired mobility, as he said common sense dictates they do not need to prove their disability by renewing their IDs.
“Matagal na natin tinutulak na gawing panghabangbuhay ang bisa ng PWD IDs, partikular sa mga may kapansanan na permanente. Hindi naman na kinakailangan pang suriin pa ang kalagayan nila kada ilang taon para lang i-renew ang kanilang mga ID (We’ve long been pushing for the lifetime validity of PWD IDs, particularly of those with permanent disabilities. It’s not actually a need to check on their disability yearly just to renew their IDs,” Angara said.
Currently, PWDs are required to renew their PWD IDs every five years, based on the guidelines set under National Council on Disability Affairs Administrative Order No. 001 series of 2021.
The process is a burden for PWDs who have mobility issues as they must personally appear before the renewing offices to submit their documents and be evaluated, Angara said.
Angara thus refiled his bill in the 19th Congress, which seeks to grant lifetime validity to the PWD IDs of both PWDs with permanent disabilities and senior PWDs.
“It doesn’t help that many government offices and facilities, including public transportation, remain non-PWD friendly in spite of our many laws that require them to be accessible to PWDs,” Angara said.
Under the bill, the NCDA, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, would be tasked to issue a list of disabilities considered as permanent within 60 days from the effectivity of the law.
A PWD ID, which serves as the standard national ID for PWDs, shall be the basis for entitlement of privileges granted under the Magna Carta for PWDs.
The privileges include discounts on goods and services and VAT exemption for transportation fare, medicine, and medical services.