The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has reiterated that persons with disabilities (PWDs), including those with non-apparent or invisible disabilities, are fully entitled to the benefits and privileges provided by law.

DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao issued the statement on Monday, July 7, following a viral video showing a PWD with a non-visible condition being publicly berated for sitting in a priority seat on an LRT-1 train.

“Hindi ibig sabihin na hindi nakikita ang kapansanan ay wala ito (Just because a disability is not visible doesn’t mean it does not exist),” Dumlao said.

“Many persons with disabilities live with conditions that are not visible, but are as real and impactful to their everyday lives. We call on everyone to show more understanding, empathy, and respect to persons with disabilities, including those with non-apparent ones,” she added.

The individual in the viral video reportedly has a congenital cataract, with eyeglass lenses graded over 1,150 for both eyes, qualifying as a visual disability under Philippine law.

Dumlao noted that the incident constituted a violation of Republic Act No. 7277, or the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, as amended by RA 9442, which prohibits ridicule or vilification, whether verbal or non-verbal, against PWDs.

To help prevent similar incidents, she said the DSWD, in partnership with the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), will launch the pilot rollout of the unified identification card system for PWDs this October in selected local government units (LGUs) nationwide.

“Patuloy ang isinasagawang internal technical pilot testing stage ng DSWD kasama ang NCDA upang maayos ang system ng unified persons with disability IDs (The DSWD and NCDA are continuing with internal technical pilot testing to ensure a smooth system for the unified PWD ID),” she said.

“Nakikita namin na once ma-implement ang system na ito, mababawasan ang paggamit sa mga fake persons with disabilities ID cards para manamantala sa mga discounts at privileges na para dapat ay sa mga tunay na mga taong may kapansanan—may physical disability man sila, non-apparent disability, o chronic or rare disease (We see that once this system is implemented, the misuse of fake PWD IDs will be reduced, ensuring benefits go to genuine PWDs, whether they have physical, non-apparent, or chronic and rare conditions),” she added.

Under NCDA Administrative Order No. 001, Series of 2008, PWD ID cards are issued to individuals with permanent disabilities resulting from one or more of the following conditions: speech impairment, learning or intellectual disabilities, mental or psychosocial conditions, visual or physical impairments, deafness or hearing loss, cancer, and rare diseases.

The NCDA is also working with the Department of Health to update and expand the official list of recognized disabilities to ensure a more inclusive classification system.

Around 200,000 individuals, or 10 percent of the country’s estimated two million PWDs, are expected to participate in the pilot rollout of the unified ID system in 35 LGUs.

Pilot areas include Parang, Maguindanao (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao); Dagupan City, San Carlos City, Urdaneta City, and Alaminos City in Pangasinan; Solano, Nueva Vizcaya; almost all municipalities in Bulacan; Cainta, San Mateo, Santa Rosa, Teresa, and Antipolo City in Rizal; Carmona in Cavite; Pila in Laguna; Daet in Camarines Norte; Kalibo in Aklan; Candijay in Bohol; Malaybalay in Bukidnon; Koronadal City and Surallah in South Cotabato; and the cities of Pasay and Muntinlupa in Metro Manila.